


See You in the Next Life

by nadziejastar



Series: A Fragmentary Passage: At Dusk I Will Think of You [1]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Best Friends, Bit of Slice of Life at the end, Child Abuse, Coming of Age, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Fix It, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Growing Up, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Teen Romance, Tragic Romance, Unconditional Love, pre-KH3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-02-25 10:42:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 63,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22494781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nadziejastar/pseuds/nadziejastar
Summary: Roxas and Xion had “7 days”. Why not have Lea and Isa’s past incorporate the same idea? This is an alternate retelling of their tragic backstory as human test subjects, with Isa as Subject X.Immediately following the events of KH3D, Lea trains with Kairi to master the Keyblade and has flashbacks of his childhood. The two become friends, Lea tells her about his life before he joined Organization XIII, and his best friend Isa, who Lea loved.Will follow two parallel stories: Lea’s growing friendship with Kairi and his past with Isa.
Relationships: Axel & Kairi (Kingdom Hearts), Axel/Saïx (Kingdom Hearts), Isa & Lea (Kingdom Hearts), Isa/Lea (Kingdom Hearts), Kairi & Lea (Kingdom Hearts)
Series: A Fragmentary Passage: At Dusk I Will Think of You [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1678972
Comments: 57
Kudos: 91





	1. The Lady and the Tramp

Radiant Garden. The sound of the water gushing in the fountains and the faint smell of flowers were all too familiar to Lea. The world had come a long way since he had last been here, back when he was still a Nobody. Lea rushed over here after the battle with Xehanort. He had rescued Sora from becoming the 13th vessel. Now, he was supposed to be heading to Merlin's house to train to become a full-fledged Keyblade wielder.

On the way to Merlin's house, Lea passed by the town square. He used to play here a lot as a kid, with his old childhood friend Isa. Ever since he had met Roxas—and Sora—he started remembering things from his past, from his childhood. It seemed like every conversation he had with Roxas brought back a new wave of vivid memories from days long past. In was in this square that Lea met Ventus, too.

_Maybe it was fate that I met him here, that day. The boy who looks like Roxas. The Keyblade's chosen one._

Lea took one long look at the castle which held so many memories for him. It was a castle of memories and broken dreams.

_What would my life be like if I never went inside the castle that day?_

So much had changed since that fateful day. Lea's mind wandered back to the past as he stared at the large looming castle, just like he once did so long ago.

* * *

Lea and his best friend Isa were playing in the central square, enjoying what was left of their summer vacation. In a few more days, it would be back to school; back to the same old routine.

“What's wrong, Lea? You're being unusually quiet,” Isa asked with some amusement.

“Like you don't already know.”

“If we both work on it together, it shouldn't take _that_ long.” Isa was referring, of course, to the summer homework they had both put off until the last minute.

“Ugh, can't we worry about that later? For now, I just want to do something fun, ya know?” Lea complained.

“Hmm. I know. Let's go see the dog. We haven't seen him in a while.”

“You and that dog, I swear. There's no guarantee he'll be there, ya know...” Lea reminded him with a smile.

The two boys arrived in the outer gardens, looking for a gray stray dog that frequently hung out there. The locals called him “Tramp” due to his penchant for mischief. He was a bit of a troublemaker, but a good-natured dog nonetheless. He started following Lea around one day, and Isa quickly took a liking to him, too.

“Guess he's not here...” Isa sounded disappointed.

“He's a stray, got it memorized? He'll go wherever he feels like. I told you not to get too attached,” Lea chided the pouting Isa.

Just then, they heard a bark.

“Hi, boy!” Isa happily greeted the stray dog.

Tramp quickly darted over towards the two boys, wagging his tail excitedly. Isa bent down and softly stroked him. Tramp rubbed his head on Isa's lap. Then he jumped up on Lea, knocked him on his butt, and proceeded to lick him.

“Hey, cut it out! Geez, why is it that you only ever slobber all over me and not Isa?” Lea complained, but he didn't mind the affection. “Let me guess, you want to play with this, huh?” Lea took out his frisbees and threw one.

Tramp scurried after it.

“Haha, you never change, do ya?”

The boys took turns tossing the frisbee to Tramp when suddenly, the dog spotted something and started walking in the opposite direction.

“What? Tired already?” Isa asked.

But he quickly realized it wasn't that. Another dog had arrived. A brown cocker spaniel with a blue collar. She was extremely well-groomed, unlike Tramp. Lea and Isa recognized that dog. Her name was Lady. She belonged to a beautiful house not far from the outer gardens. It was the first time either of them had seen her outside the large immaculate fenced yard. Lady greeted Tramp and he replied with an enthusiastic bark. Then, the two ran off together and were soon out of sight.

“Oh, boy. Looks like he's got himself a girlfriend,” Lea laughed to himself.

“That's Lady, right? She shouldn't be outside of the yard. Her owners are probably looking for her.”

“Aw, why spoil her fun? This is probably her first time exploring the town.”

Maybe Lea was right. This could be her only opportunity to wander freely around town. But still. Lady wasn't used to the outside world. What if something bad happened?

“I'm sure her owners are worried about her, though.”

“She's with Tramp. I'm sure she'll be fine and be back home before ya know it. Gotta make some memories while you have the chance.”

Memories. Isa knew what Lea was talking about. They had been trying all summer to sneak into the castle. And each time, they had been summarily thrown out. They had pretty much resigned themselves to their failure, but Isa started to suspect that maybe Lea hadn't completely given up on the idea after all.

“She could use a friend to add some excitement to her life. She's kinda like you, Isa.” Lea smiled in a cheeky manner.

 _And you're a lot like Tramp,_ Isa thought.

After a few seconds of hesitation, Lea blurted it out. “Ya know, I still think we have a shot.”

 _There it is. I knew it. I knew he'd never let it go._ “I dunno, Lea.”

“You said you wanted to do it, right?”

“Well, yeah. But we've been kicked out so many times. I really don't think we're getting in there...” Isa sighed.

“Today we might do it.” Lea was always the optimist.

“What makes you think this time is going to be any different than the last 50 times?” Isa asked dryly.

“Well, I'm glad you asked.” Lea flashed a confident smirk. “Did you know there's an entrance on the _side_ of the castle? Not a lot of people know about it. I just found out about it myself. And the best part is, the guards don't even hang out there.”

“I don't think this is such a good idea, Lea. We really should be finishing up our homework. We don’t have time to put it off much longer. I don’t wanna get a bad grade.”

“Look, if we fail today, then I promise you, I’ll give up and we can finish our homework. But come on. Let’s just try one last time. That way, we won’t have any regrets.”

“I dunno. The guards seemed pretty angry the last time. Well, even more than usual. We could get in a lot of trouble.”

“Hey, no risk, no reward, am I right? Just think about it, Isa. We'd be the first kids ever to see the inside of that castle. You're gonna remember it for the rest of your life. When will you ever get the opportunity to do something like that again?”

Isa said nothing.

“Besides, what's the worst that could happen? We're just a couple of kids, right?” Lea's lips curled into a mischievous smile.

Isa could see how much Lea wanted to do this. Truth be told, Isa thought the idea sounded exciting, too. Still, he had a bad feeling about it. He sighed heavily. “You just don't give up, do you?”

“I'm doing this for you, too, Isa. If we listened to you, all we'd ever do is sit around and eat ice cream all day. Trust me, you'll be thanking me later.”

It was true. Lea's enthusiasm was contagious. With him, Isa always did have lots of fun. Things were never boring with him around.

Isa rolled his eyes and smiled. “Oh, all right. I guess we can give it one more shot. It's not like we're gonna succeed anyways. Then we can get some ice cream afterwards.”

“That's the spirit! Now let's go.”

The boys stared at the large castle looming in the distance, then marched towards it.


	2. The Princess of Heart

Lea strolled through the Marketplace at a leisurely pace, stretching his arms. He often came here to buy ice cream with Isa as a kid. Scrooge recently brought sea-salt ice cream back to this world, and the sight of the new little shop comforted Lea.

“One sea-salt ice cream, please.”

Lea enjoyed his snack on the walk to Merlin's house. He never knew a wizard lived so close to one his favorite childhood stomping grounds. Lea trained with him previously to summon a Keyblade in a place where time was more flexible.

He looked at his stick. Nothing. “Well, I guess I've wasted enough time out here.” He tossed the stick in the trash, then opened the door to the house.

“Helloo? Merlin? Anybody home?” The house was empty. Lea looked around curiously at the various books and model airplanes.

A few seconds later, Merlin appreared in a poof of magic right in front of Lea, causing him to jump.

“Gah! You trying to give me a heart attack, old man?” Lea hated being startled. It probably dated back to his youth.

“Who are you calling old!?” Merlin wagged his wand at Lea. “I say, children these days. No manners at all...” he continued grumbling under his breath.

“My apologies, sir.” Lea bowed playfully.

“Young man, Master Yen Sid informed me that you were successful in summoning your Keyblade, yes?”

“That's right. I'm a full-fledged Keyblade wielder now!” Lea said with a bragging tone while pointing to himself with his thumb.

“Very good, very good. Why, to think someone like you could actually do it, ohoho!”

 _Gee, thanks. I’m so happy that everyone has such faith in me,_ Lea thought to himself.

“Once the other one arrives, we can commence your training.”

“Other one?” _Who else is going to be training? I haven't heard about anyone else._

“Ah, yes. Kairi, I believe her name was. I've been informed that the young lass also summoned her Keyblade recently.”

 _Kairi, huh...?_ “I see.” Lea wasn't expecting to see Kairi. He told Sora that he was sorry for what he did to her, and he was. Deeply sorry. Now he had the chance to say it to her in person. He never thought he would have this chance. But things were different now. He was human again.

“Sit down and have some tea, lad.”

Merlin waved his wand and summoned a teapot, a sugar bowl, and a strawberry cake. Lea sat down and sipped his tea. He was nervously fidgeting, lost in thought, staring at the cuckoo clock. A while later, Kairi arrived.

“Ah, hello Mr. Merlin. I'm Kairi. Master Yen Sid told me you can help with my training?”

“Yes, welcome, my dear, welcome. And please, call me Merlin. It's going to be a lot of work. Would you like some tea before we begin?”

Kairi looked over to the table. “But...shouldn't we start right away?”

“Oh don't worry, my dear, you won't have to worry about time where we're going,” Merlin chuckled to himself.

“Well, I guess it's all right then.” Kairi glanced over at her new training partner.

Riku had mentioned to her that he sought out King Mickey and asked to use a Keyblade. At the time, she was surprised to hear that. She never expected that a member of Organization XIII would be worthy to summon a Keyblade, let alone be willing to help them defeat Xehanort.

 _I guess I_ _don't really know anything about Axel—er, Lea. I wonder why he wanted to use a Keyblade._

Lea didn't make eye contact with Kairi. He was unsure of what to say, or if Kairi felt uncomfortable around him, and this made him even more nervous. He wanted to talk with her, but he felt too embarrassed with Merlin there.

After a slightly awkward tea session, Merlin whisked his two new apprentices away to a large, lush forested area.

* * *

“Wow, it's beautiful...” Kairi marveled at the gorgeous scenery.

“Now, tell me everything you know about magic.” Merlin quickly adopted a more professional bearing.

“Well, at least I can say the organization did a pretty good job teaching us _that_.” Lea easily cast a Fire spell.

“Very good, lad. Now, how about you?”

“Well, I've never actually used it before...” Kairi said timidly.

“Well, then we have a lot of work to do. Higitus Figitus!” With a wave of his wand, Merlin summoned an assortment of dishes. Plates, bowls, cups, pots. “Now, let's start with the basics. These will be your targets.”

Kairi picked up the basics of magic fairly quickly. She seemed like a natural, really. It wasn't long before she was able to cast various low-level elemental and curative spells. After training for several hours, Merlin decided it was time for another tea break and left Lea and Kairi to their own devices.

Kairi sat down on a boulder near the cliffside. From there, she had a nice view of the sunset. It painted the whole landscape a warm shade of crimson. It was just like the sunset back on Destiny Island, and the sight of it made her feel less homesick. She was absently gazing at it when Lea sat down next to her.

“Merlin sure loves tea, huh?” Kairi looked up at him with a warm smile. 

“Kairi...” Lea stammered.

 _He seems really nervous. “_ We haven't had a chance to talk yet, have we, Lea?”

“Listen...” He was searching for the right words, whatever those were. “I just wanted to tell you that I'm really, _really_ sorry. For everything.” He lowered his head.

“Sora told me that you helped him rescue me.”

Lea smiled and let his guard down for the first time. “Well, it was the least I could do after kidnapping you, ya know?”

“You were trying to see Roxas, weren't you?” Kairi's question caught him off guard for some reason. Of course, it was only natural that she would ask about Roxas.

“Yeah. That's right.” _Roxas. I want to see him. I want to apologize to him, too._ _I hope I can see him again someday._ _No. I will_ _see him again someday._

“You know...” She looked like she was deep in thought. “I met Roxas, too.”

He looked up at her. _She met Roxas? When?_

“Well, maybe it wouldn't be quite accurate to say that I've _met_ him. But I have spoken to him once. It was in a dream.”

“A dream?” _That's strange. But now that I think about it, Roxas told me he used to have dreams. Dreams of Sora. Probably had dreams of Kairi, too, I guess._

“Yeah.” She took the thalassa shell charm out of her pocket. “Roxas was the one who helped me remember the promise I made. To Sora.”

Kairi thought back to the day she spoke to Roxas. She went to the little island for the first time on that day. She remembered the sound of the waves and the red sunset reflected on the water. Then she wrote a letter to Sora and let it loose in the ocean.

“It's strange. It almost felt like we had spoken before. Lea...what was Roxas like?”

 _I guess Kairi is really curious about Roxas. Well, he was Sora's Nobody, after all. “_ Roxas. What can I say? He was special. Wasn't like the other organization members at all. He was...a lot like Sora.”

Lea smiled remembering his dear friend. All the times they laughed and ate ice cream together. All those days watching the sunset at the special spot. After meeting Roxas, everything changed. And it was Roxas who helped Lea remember the promise _he_ had made, too. It was a promise he made a long, long time ago.

Kairi smiled at Lea’s response. She couldn’t help but think that he was a lot more kind and gentle than when she first met him on Destiny Island. He frightened her back then, but now, he seemed like just a normal person. She wasn't scared of him at all. It was hard to believe he was capable of kidnapping anyone. 

When they first met, Pluto immediately took a liking to Axel and started licking him. On the other hand, he would just bark ferociously at the other organization members, like the blue-haired man with the large scar on his face. At the time, she found it strange that the dog treated her two kidnappers so differently. But now, she understood.

“You know, you're pretty different from the other organization members yourself,” she giggled a little.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that. Never was the biggest fan of 'em.”

Lea smiled sardonically.

Kairi could see the tiniest hint of sadness in that smile. _What does he mean by that?_ She really wanted to ask, but something about Lea's expression told her that it might be a difficult subject.

Lea turned his gaze from Kairi and looked at the sunset. More memories of the past returned to him. Memories from long ago.

* * *

The sun was setting below the horizon while Lea and Isa made their way to the Postern. It was an out-of-the way entrance to the castle that not many people knew about. Lea had overheard a few of the neighborhood kids talking about it the other day. Apparently they saw some people going in recently, including a kid. This detail caught Lea's attention. To get to the entrance, you needed to follow a long winding road along the side of the mountain. There were no guards stationed there, probably due to it being so remote.

“See?” Lea pointed to the entrance.

“There's no way they'd just leave an open entrance like that. Come on, Lea. There has to be a catch.”

“Well, only one way to find out.”

Lea could barely contain his excitement. Isa simply sighed in exasperation and shook his head.

Lea started walking towards the entrance and Isa worked up the courage to follow him. When they entered, what they saw surprised them. It was a large hallway with a black-and-white checkered floor.

“The heck?” Lea wasn't expecting something quite like this.

“Huh. Strange...” Isa calmly muttered to himself.

As they walked, the boys realized the hallway was like a maze.

“Hey, you don't think this is like, one of those endless labyrinths, do ya? What if we get lost in here?” For some reason, Lea didn't sound quite as worried as his words suggested. He was still grinning ear to ear.

“Well, if we do, it'll be _your_ fault. As usual,” Isa replied dryly.

He never would think of doing something like this on his own, but with Lea with him, it seemed like everything would be fine. He was too shy to admit it, but Isa always felt safe around Lea.

After making their way through the long winding corridor, the boys came upon a door.

“Ugh, finally. Here we go. This must be the _real_ entrance to the castle.”

“Well, that figures. Looks like the end of the road, Lea. I knew they wouldn't just leave the castle wide open.” Isa put his hands on his hips. He sounded resigned to their failure.

Lea put his hand on the door's handle and, much to his surprise, the door actually opened. “No way.” Lea looked at Isa in disbelief.

He was thrilled, but for some reason, this made Isa incredibly uneasy. _Why would they just leave the door unlocked? Could they really be so careless?_ Isa wasn't sure what to make of it, but Lea was completely unbothered by this turn of events.

When the two boys walked inside the doorway, they saw a room with dozens of books stacked on the shelves and diagrams on the walls. There was a table in the center of the room with a single large chair. It looked like a study area. What caught Lea's attention the most were the vat-like containers which had what looked like hearts inside of them.

“Okay, that's...weird. Whaddaya think they're doing with those hearts?” Lea peered into the vat, his face reflecting in the glass.

“Well, it's thanks to the Sage-King's research that Radiant Garden is such a peaceful place. So, I'm sure it's nothing bad,” Isa said as if he were trying to reassure himself.

Ansem was a wise and benevolent sage. He was dedicated to the health and prosperity of his people above all else. It was thanks to him that Radiant Garden was a paradise. That's what every child had always been taught growing up. Isa had always looked up to Ansem the Wise...not that he really knew anything about him personally. To him, Ansem was a myth and a legend. In a way, it was almost hard to believe he really existed.

Lea and Isa didn't understand the diagrams and the titles of the books were way above their ability to comprehend. So they walked past the study room and entered the laboratory. There was a rather large computer monitor in this room.

“Whoa! What's that thing do?” Lea gazed at it in astonishment.

“How should I know?” Isa smiled at Lea's childlike enthusiasm.

“Well, you _are_ a pretty huge nerd, Isa.” Lea looked behind the monitor through a window and he saw a large area with dozens—maybe hundreds—of hearts held in glass containments. “Think those are _human_ hearts?” Lea looked over at Isa with a smirk.

“Very funny.” Isa rolled his eyes.

“Aww, what's the matter? You scared?” Lea could easily pick up on Isa's nervousness and was having fun with it.

“We'll get in a lot of trouble if they find us snooping around in here. And that door wasn't even locked. That means somebody will probably be coming back.” The castle was a lot different than Isa had imagined. The atmosphere was just so heavy. It almost felt...ominous. Before, he was pretty excited to see the inside. But now? He couldn't wait to leave.

“Eh, even if they do catch us, we'll just get thrown out on our butts again. Relax. Besides, we won't stay here too much longer.”

“Fine. But you definitely owe me an ice cream after this.”

“Haha, sure thing. Today's a special occasion, so it'll be my treat.”

Lea walked past the lab into the next room. The only thing in it was a long spiral staircase which apparently led deep into the bowels of the castle.

“Hey, Isa. Check this out.” Lea waved to Isa.

“I'm not so sure we should go down there, Lea.”

“Oh, come on. You are so uptight. You said yourself that you were always curious about what was inside here, right? Now we have a chance to see for ourselves.”

It was true. Normally Isa would scold Lea for coming up with an idea that could get them both into _this_ much trouble. Not that Lea ever listened to him. But he didn't put up as much resistance with this plan. He was just as curious as Lea was. Every single kid in Radiant Garden was fascinated by the castle. It was just such a mystery.

“Whatever. But after this, we're leaving.”

“As you wish, Master Isa, sir.” Lea bowed to him exaggeratedly. He knew that despite the nagging, Isa always went along with whatever he wanted to do, anyways.

“You’re annoying.” 

Lea flashed a large grin in response.

As the boys walked down the long spiral staircase, it got increasingly darker and more difficult to see.

“Yeesh, this thing goes on forever...” Lea complained.

“It's dark...”

"Yeah, but at least that means nobody will see us, right?" Lea smiled.

Isa just sighed heavily _. I really don't understand how he can always be so carefree. But, that's just how Lea is, I guess._ He smiled a bit at Lea's unfailing positive attitude. It was why he always felt so drawn to him. 

Finally, after what seemed like forever, they reached the bottom of the staircase. It was so dark that they could barely see anything. But in the dim lighting, they spotted what appeared to be rows of cages. Individual rooms with barred windows. Prison cells.

“The heck?” It was Lea who spoke up first, albeit with some reluctance. _Yeah, those are definitely cages. But I don't get it. Why would there be cages down here?_

“Okay, I think we've seen enough, Lea,” Isa whispered. He was getting agitated. For some reason, he had a sinking feeling that those cages weren't unoccupied.

“Shh. I think there's somebody there.” Lea spoke as quietly as he possibly could.

He wasn't worried before, but now he was scared. _Really_ scared. So many thoughts began racing through his mind all at once _. What was I thinking coming here? I'm such an idiot. I just wanna go home and finish my assignment._

Isa was frozen in fear.

Lea grabbed him by the forearm and whispered, “Let's go.”

But as they both turned around to leave, they heard the faintest of voices.

“He..llo...?”

Lea and Isa both trembled at the sound and immediately regretted their decision to come here. Their instincts were telling them to run, and had the voice not been so tiny and childlike, they would have done just that.

“H-Hello?”

There was no mistaking it. It was the voice of a small child, probably a girl, Lea thought. The boys didn't respond to the voice and remained rooted to the floor.

A few moments later, they heard the child whimper.

At that, Lea couldn't ignore it anymore. He decided to take a few more steps towards the voice. Isa followed closely behind. There was a tiny sliver of light radiating from the cell. If it weren't for that light, it would have been impossible to see anything. It was still too dark to make out the inhabitant's features, but there was indeed a person inside the cage. A small girl.

“Wh-why are _you_ here?” Lea whispered.

The tiny girl shook her head and replied with an unexpected answer. “I don't know.”

“What's your name?”

Same response. “I don't know.”

 _You don't know your own name? “_ Well, how did you get here?”

“...I..don't know.” It sounded like she was trying not to cry. “I don't...remember.” She was sniffling as she spoke. She was crying now. Lea wasn't sure how to handle a crying child, let alone in these circumstances.

Instead, Isa spoke up. “It's okay. Don't cry.”

He didn't exactly know what to say, but he spoke as gently as possible. He stuck his hand through the bars.

The child reached out and firmly grabbed onto it. After that, she quieted down.

“There. See? It's all right.” As scared as Isa was, he knew the little girl had to be even more terrified. He wanted to do anything he could to help her, even if it was just offering her words of comfort. There was little else he _could_ do. The cell had an electronic lock that would only open with the correct code. _I want to help her. But how? We have no way to get her out of there._

Lea stood beside Isa. He was able to see that the light was actually coming from a necklace the girl was wearing. He patted the girl on the head through the bars of the cage and she giggled softly. He let out a sigh. _Now what? It's not like I can just leave. I'd never forgive myself if I abandoned her. Why the heck would they lock up a little kid like this, anyway? What is going on?_

“Are you...gonna leave me?” the little girl asked. She sounded afraid. “I...don't wanna be alone anymore.”

Lea hesitated before responding. “We're going to leave for a little bit. But we'll come back tomorrow, okay? To see you.” The words came out of his mouth before he had the chance to think them through.

The little girl latched onto Lea's hand while still grasping Isa's hand. “You won't forget about me...?” She was trying so hard not to cry.

“No, of course not. We won't forget about you. I promise. Right, Isa?” Lea wasn't really thinking about what he said. His heart was doing the talking.

“Right.” _Lea's right. I don't wanna leave her here, either. But there's really nothing we can do for her. We can come back tomorrow._

“Okay. I'll be waiting for you.” The girl smiled and placed her hands over her necklace. The light that emanated from it became brighter for just a second.

“Let's hurry, Isa.”

* * *

Lea and Isa were bent over, trying to catch their breath even after they arrived back in the Marketplace. They couldn’t get out of that creepy castle fast enough.

“Man, that really freaked me out. The castle wasn't really what I was expecting, ya know?” Lea was a pile of nerves.

"Yeah.” Isa was quiet. He still seemed a bit shaken up, too.

“Well, as promised.” Lea handed Isa a bar of sea-salt ice cream. It was both of their favorite flavor.

The two boys ate their ice cream in total silence. It wasn't the celebratory affair they'd anticipated.

After a while, Lea finally spoke up. “So, who do you think that girl was?” He couldn't get the child out of his mind.

“I'm not sure.”

“Why would Ansem keep a kid locked up in the basement of the castle?”

Isa just shook his head. “No clue.”

The sun had nearly set below the horizon, and it was starting to get dark. The two boys went home for the day and went to bed early. They didn't speak a word about what happened to anyone.

* * *

Over the next week, Lea and Isa began sneaking inside the castle at the same time of day to see the little girl. They would stay for an hour or two, just to talk and calm her down. Then they would leave before it got too late. They would tell her about school and what they did during summer vacation. Anything to cheer her up. She was always there, and the boys could tell that she looked forward to their visits. She had no explanation for why she was locked up there, though. She was a total enigma.

On one of their visits, Lea brought the little girl something extra to cheer her up.

“Here. I thought you might like something sweet.”

“Oh! Ice cream!” She quickly bit into the bar. “Thank you!”

“Aww, it's no big deal. It was Isa's idea. But I was the one who had the lucky stick. I won a free ice cream. But, we can't eat more than one, so...”

“Well, _you_ probably could.”

“Shaddap.”

The small girl laughed at Lea and Isa's bickering. “I'm really glad you guys come to see me so much. Will you come back again?”

The two boys answered in unison, “Yeah!”

And they kept their promise. They always did come back.

* * *

On the last day of summer, Lea and Isa went to the town square to play frisbee. They tossed it back and forth for several minutes. However, neither of them really said much.

Finally, Lea sat down near the fountain.

Isa sat next to him. “You're thinking about that girl, aren't you, Lea?”

“Yeah.”

“It's the same with me.”

“Once school starts, we won't be able to go see her anymore,” Lea said sadly.

Isa said nothing.

Lea stared at the castle in the distance. He couldn't peel his eyes away.

“Do you want to go back?” Isa asked softly. 

Lea nodded. “I...want to get her outta there.”

Isa knew Lea would say that. It was just like him to want to help that girl. Isa felt the same way, but he had no idea what they could possibly do. They couldn't tell anybody. Nobody would ever believe that Ansem the Wise was keeping children locked up in his basement. The only way to help that girl was by doing it themselves.

* * *

Lea and Isa waited until it was almost evening before making their way back inside the castle, the same way they did before. Just like always, the door was left unlocked.

This time, they headed straight for Ansem's Study. They thought they might find some information there about the mysterious girl. Or maybe the code to her cell. Something. They combed through a bunch of documents and books.

“Find anything, Isa?”

“No. Nothing.”

They stayed a lot longer than they usually would, desperately searching for some way to help their new friend.

Then they heard the sound of footsteps getting louder. They whirled around and saw the door open.

“Well, well. Looks like this time, they came to _us_.” The voice belonged to a man. He sounded amused, yet sinister at the same time. Lea and Isa had never seen him before. He was wearing an eyepatch.

There were two other large figures behind him. Lea and Isa recognized them from their many previous attempts to sneak inside the castle. They were the two guards that always tossed them out.

“We're sorry!” Lea blurted out instinctively. His heart was beating out of his chest and he could barely breathe. Isa was too shocked to say anything.

 _These brats again._ “Good. That makes our job easier,” the dark-haired guard, Dilan, said in response to Braig.

Unbeknownst to Lea and Isa, the guards had been kidnapping people and smuggling them into the castle when Ansem was away. They left the door unlocked so they could have an easier time bringing back prisoners to lock up.

The other guard with the brown hair, Aeleus, approached Lea and Isa and picked them both up by the collar, one in each hand.

“Stop! Let us go! We're sorry! Please!” Lea frantically pleaded, but to no avail.

“Take those two away,” Dilan ordered Aeleus. And with that, Lea and Isa were carried away.


	3. The Fallen City of Light

The hours gradually passed as Kairi and Lea continued their training under the tutelage of the wizard Merlin. In the middle of one of their magic training sessions, the three good Fairies—Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather—appeared in a cloud of colorful magic and interrupted.

“Merlin!” called the fairy in red.

“Oh! Wh-what is the matter, Flora?” Merlin asked.

“King Mickey and Riku are here. They wish to speak to you,” Fauna replied.

“Hmm.” Merlin looked over his shoulder towards Lea and Kairi. “Well, I suppose I had better go see what's going on.”

Kairi exchanged a glance with Lea. _If Riku is here, something must have happened_ , she thought _._

“Merlin, would it be all right if I came along?” She couldn't help but feel that the news was something she needed to hear.

“I'll come, too,” Lea chimed in. He was never one to be kept out of the loop.

“Well, I suppose there's no harm in it.”

With a wave of his wand, Merlin transported the three of them back into the house in Radiant Garden. When they arrived, King Mickey and Riku were already waiting inside. Their expressions were serious.

Merlin wondered if Xehanort made a move. “What is it? Is there some kind of trouble?” 

King Mickey reassured him. “Well, not exactly. It's just that, we figured something out and we thought you needed to know.”

At this, Merlin raised an eyebrow.

Riku, standing with his arms folded, spoke up next. “We went and paid a visit to the castle and were speaking to Ansem the Wise's former apprentices. And we think we have some information about Terra.”

Lea knew that Terra was one of the three missing Keyblade wielders, lost over a decade ago. The other two were Aqua and Ventus. Yen Sid had spoken about them back at his tower, after Sora was rescued. Those three were the reason Sora and Riku had their Mark of Mastery exam in the first place.

He had been told that by acquiring the power of waking, they would be able to rescue those three from their slumber and bring them back to the Realm of Light. That's what everyone was working so hard for. Riku used the power of waking on Sora, after Xehanort failed to make him his vessel. Lea had an interest in the power of waking for his _own_ reasons.

Merlin pressed Mickey for more information. “Oh, my. And what exactly might that be?”

“Well, when I first met Ansem the Wise, he had a young apprentice named Xehanort. We learned that Ansem the Wise found him when he was passed out in the central square. And he had no memories of his past. Ansem experimented on his heart because he wanted to help him figure out who he was. Well, there was one big clue. He was found with a Keyblade and a suit of armor next to him. And that Keyblade and armor—well, they actually belonged to Master Aqua.”

Riku continued the story. “Master Xehanort was an old man. He disappeared after clashing with the three missing Keyblade wielders. But Ansem's apprentice was a young man.”

Riku thought back to the portrait of “Ansem” he saw in the study room. He always wondered why it stood out to him so much. Now, he understood. The face on the painting was one that he was familiar with.

“When we saw Master Xehanort in the Sleeping World, he said that Sora and another of our Guardians of Light belonged to him,” Mickey added.

“We think the reason Ansem's apprentice looked so young...is that Xehanort was using _Terra's_ body.” Everyone was stunned at Riku's declaration.

“Are you certain, lad?” Merlin asked.

“Yeah. I met Terra a long time ago.” Riku held up the palm of his hand and glanced at it as he spoke. “I don't know how it took me so long to realize it. The body Xehanort has been using. It's definitely Terra's.” Riku spoke with absolute confidence, but his expression was solemn.

 _Riku has met...Terra?_ Kairi wondered to herself.

 _Terra is...Xehanort?_ It took a few seconds for that to sink in for Lea.

Merlin was now more concerned about Terra than ever, but he seemed excited about this new breakthrough. “Where are the Keyblade and armor now? Perhaps they are just the clue you need to locate Master Aqua.”

“We're planning to take them back to Master Yen Sid. Maybe he’ll be able to locate her now,” Mickey explained. It was just like when he disappeared and Yen Sid used his Star Shard to find him.

"We learned from Ienzo—one of Ansem's apprentices—that Xemnas was actually using that armor and Keyblade to communicate with a 'friend' in a room called the 'Chamber of Repose'. It must have been Aqua.”

“But, Riku, how is that possible? She's in the Realm of Darkness, right?” Kairi asked.

“Terra's heart,” he quickly answered.

“Huh?”

“If Xehanort possessed Terra's body, that means his heart was captured, too.” As he spoke, Riku's eyes narrowed as he remembered his own time as Xehanort's puppet. “Xemnas must have been able to use the connection Terra had to Aqua, to reach her in the Realm of Darkness. And thanks to Ansem's experiments on his heart, he would have had access to all of Terra's memories, too.”

“Aqua...probably thought she was really talking to Terra...” Mickey's expression suddenly became crestfallen.

Lea said nothing, though he had a hard time masking the look of contempt on his face.

“Oh, that's awful. Poor Aqua.” Kairi looked at the floor. For some reason, she felt her a terrible aching in her chest when she thought about Aqua's fate.

“But why was _Xemnas_ trying to talk with _Aqua_?” Lea asked, trying to change the subject.

“He was looking for something called the 'Chamber of Waking'. Ienzo said that's where Xemnas's other 'friend' is. We think that's where Aqua may have hidden Ventus's body!” Mickey explained.

This was all so much for Lea to take it. He never expected that Xemnas was looking for Ventus.

_The Chamber of Waking? That's...where Ventus is? Wait, Xemnas was looking for Ventus this whole time? Is that why he always sent me? Was it because I was close to Roxas?_

_Why did Xemnas want to find Ventus, anyway? Is it because he was a Keyblade user? Or was it because he was...Terra's friend? No. Terra's heart was asleep. He was just a vessel. Xemnas was nothing but another Xehanort. He wasn't Ventus's friend, even if he had Terra's memories._

“The Chamber of Waking, huh?” Everyone's eyes were on Lea after he voiced this thought out loud.

“You've heard about it, Lea?” Riku was all ears.

“Yeah. Xemnas was obsessed with it. Never knew why. He'd keep sending me to Castle Oblivion over and over to look for it. But I swear, finding that place—it's impossible. You could search for a hundred years and never find it. Trust me.”

“Hmm.” Mickey put his hand on his chin. "Master Aqua did say she wanted to hide Ven somewhere he'd be safe. So, Lea's probably right.” He looked a little dispirited.

Riku also sounded disappointed. “Then the only way we'll find Ventus is by finding Aqua first, huh?” 

“Yep. That's what it looks like. But at least we probably know where Ven's body is now. And we're pretty sure we know where his heart is, too.” Everyone was looking at Mickey expectantly after he said that.

Merlin asked what everyone else was also thinking. “We...do?”

It was Riku who answered. “Actually...we think it's inside of Sora.” He sounded amused.

Merlin and Kairi seemed surprised, but Lea had no visible reaction.

“Ventus was a friend of mine. And ya know, Sora's Nobody looked just like him!” 

Mickey took out a photograph of Roxas, Hayner, Pence, and Olette in front of the old mansion in Twilight Town. “After Ventus fell asleep, his heart never returned to his body. We never knew what happened to it. Well, I'd say it looks like it found its way to Sora. When he became a Heartless, Ventus's heart must have separated from him, and was inside of his Nobody.” The King chuckled a little as he glanced over at Riku, who smiled in return. “Gosh. He was right there in front of us the whole time, wasn't he Riku?”

“Yeah. Ventus.” Riku remembered seeing Ventus when he dove into Sora's heart. He was one of Terra's closest friends. And a Riku could never forget the day he met Terra. He wanted to protect the things that mattered. No doubt, he was referring to Ventus and Aqua.

 _So Ventus's heart went to sleep inside of Sora?_ Kairi didn't find it that hard to believe. Sora's heart was always so open and inviting, especially to those who were in pain. Her own heart went inside of his after the Destiny Islands fell to darkness. Of course Sora would be the type of person to welcome the heart of a complete stranger into his own. That's just how he was—how he's always been. Kairi smiled just thinking about him.

“So, uh...how exactly are you planning to get Ventus's heart _out_ of Sora?” Lea had to ask.

He didn't exactly have much success bringing Roxas back when he tried to turn Sora into a Heartless. But Roxas was a remarkable Nobody, able to coexist with his other. He always acted like he had a heart. Lea truly thought he _did_ have one all along. And he _had_ always found it strange that Sora's Nobody resembled that other boy, Ventus, even more than Sora himself. Now, things were finally starting to make sense. If Ventus's heart could be brought back, would he still remember Lea? Would he remember _Axel_?

“For that, Sora has to learn the power of waking. We think that Ansem the Wise's data might give us a clue, so we're having Ansem's apprentices help us. If we're successful, it could help us save Master Aqua!” Mickey sounded hopeful again.

 _If Xemnas was able to gain Terra's memories by 'connecting' with his heart, could Sora do the same with Ventus? Maybe so. I wonder. Could that be they key to finding Aqua?_ Riku had to ask himself.

“Well, I suppose a lot is riding on the young Sora.” Merlin sounded slightly concerned at this turn of events. He began to stroke his beard.

“Don't worry. If anyone can do it, it's Sora.” Kairi had no doubts. Sora would be able to save Ventus and Aqua, too. He would be able to save everyone; she was certain of it.

“Let's hope so,” Riku said with a bit of humor while shrugging his shoulders a bit.

“Kairi's right. Sora has never let us down yet!” Mickey enthusiastically replied. “Well...I guess we'd better go tell _him_ all this, huh Riku?”

“Heh. Yeah.” Riku let out a small laugh while nodding at the King. “Wonder how he'll react.” 

Merlin looked at King Mickey. “Well, if you find out anything else, come let me know immediately.” 

“Yep! Don't worry, we will! Well, I guess we'd better be off now. Good luck, everyone!”

Riku and Mickey waved to everyone, then left.

* * *

Back at the secret forest, Kairi and Lea ended their training session a bit early. Merlin wanted to talk to Master Yen Sid about the recent turn of events, so he left for a bit, leaving Kairi and Lea alone. They went to the rock at the side of the cliff. It became their usual spot after training was over.

The gentle breeze could be heard through the trees, and the sun was once again setting below the horizon. It was the end of another day in this world. There was no telling how much time had passed in the real world, though.

Lea was lost in thought. He had a lot of things on his mind from the day's earlier conversation. Would Sora really be able to save everyone? He had to wonder.

Kairi broke the silence, trying to make conversation. “You know, I used to live in Radiant Garden.”

To Lea, her words were unexpected. He didn't know how to respond. _What is she talking about? I thought she was from the Destiny Islands?_

Kairi saw the confusion on his face and elaborated. “Well, I was really little, so I don't remember much. But it was the world where I was originally from.”

“Well, I guess that's something we have in common. Radiant Garden is my home world, too.” Lea stared at the sunset as he spoke.

“It is?” _I never knew he was from Radiant Garden._

“Yeah. But unlike you, I remember it perfectly. I lived there before the world was called Hollow Bastion. Back before the Heartless came. Well, before _Xehanort_ came, I guess.” _That's right. Everything began when Xehanort arrived. That was...the beginning of the end._

Lea's mind drifted to Ventus, the boy he met many years ago. He met him only once and then never saw him again. Honestly, he had forgotten all about him. Until he met Roxas, that is. Lea called Ventus his friend. Later, he met Roxas, who he called his best friend. He tried to turn Sora into a Heartless just to see his best friend one more time before fading away. Back then, all he wanted was a best friend. Well, it _still_ was. Ventus's best friend was Terra, the boy who had his body stolen by Xehanort. What would Ventus think if he knew? 

_Ventus. He was in Radiant Garden that day. I wonder...was he looking for Terra? Is that why he seemed so sad? The pain of losing your best friend. That's...a pain I understand..._

“Lea. I had no idea.” She looked sad as gazed up at Lea.

 _I kinda envy her. She's lucky to not remember what happened to Radiant Garden._ Lea's chest tightened as he recalled those long days and nights spent inside the castle. They were memories he'd sooner forget.

* * *

Lea was sitting inside a cell in the lower portion of the castle. He had been there for a while, though he didn't know exactly _how_ long. All he knew was that several days had passed. Six days? Maybe a week? He lost count.

The worst part was that he had no idea where Isa was being kept. As for himself, he was being kept in a cell in the dungeon area. One day in the future, Sora would come here with the Beast, as they looked for Kairi and Belle, who were being held captive. But right now, Lea and Isa were the captives.

The room Lea was staying in was dark and slightly musty. There was a small bed and a single stone table in the middle to eat his meals. The only light in the cell came from the candle on the table. The room wasn't exactly warm and the bed was as soft as a brick.

Lea was lying in bed staring at the ceiling in total silence. That's when he heard what sounded like muffled human screams coming from beneath him. He immediately jolted up and felt his heart race.

 _Damn it. There it is again._ _Every night._ _I wish it would just stop._ His hands were shaking while he covered his ears. He shut his eyes tightly.

The screaming was only faintly audible, but it terrified Lea, leaving him unable to sleep. He didn't know if Isa was one of the people screaming or not. As a result of his fatigue, he always felt terrible. Part of him hoped that the moaning and screaming was just his mind playing tricks on him, due to the sensory deprivation and lack of sleep. 

_I'm so sorry, Isa. This is all my fault. If I hadn't made you come here, this never would have happened._ Lea berated himself over and over as he rocked back and forth.

The nights were always the worst. They seemed to drag on forever.

_Why? Why did I ever decide to come here? Why did this have to happen?_

Lea was usually left alone until breakfast time in the morning. Tonight was different, however. Lea's lack of compliance was starting to attract the attention of the guards. After the first few days, he was barely eating due to how sick he felt. He also made a lot of noise whenever he thought any of the guards were within earshot. At this point, they were getting quite irritated with him. The last thing they needed was for Ansem the Wise to become aware of their activities.

Even with his ears covered, Lea could still hear the sound of footsteps getting louder. Braig approached his cell with the same cocky expression he always wore when he delivered meals. It always rubbed Lea the wrong way. Dilan was with him this time.

“Not asleep?” Braig asked condescendingly.

Lea couldn't contain his rage at the sight of his kidnappers. He stood up just to yell at them. “What the hell do you want with me!? Where is my friend!?” He stomped his foot on the ground. “Let me see my friend!”

“Oh, boy. Looks like we've got another tantrum on our hands. Well, at least you're full of energy.” He was as nonchalant as ever, which only infuriated Lea even more. “C'mon, kid. You're gonna need your stamina, so why not have just a little bite to eat? He may not look it, but Aeleus ain't a half-bad cook.” Braig slipped a tray of food under the bars of the cell.

Lea kicked the tray as hard as he could, until the food was splattered all over the floor and the plate was shattered into pieces.

Dilan was not pleased by Lea's outburst. A deep scowl formed on his thick brow.

“Uh-oh, looks like you made him mad,” Braig teased.

“That's it, boy. You've been given more than enough leniency. You should have gone home when you had the chance. Now you get to make yourself useful,” Dilan said in a low voice. His cold tone made Lea's heart sink in his chest.

 _What is that supposed to mean?_ Lea had no idea why he and Isa were being imprisoned. At first he thought it was just because they were caught trespassing, but he was starting to suspect that there was more to it than just that. It appeared that they weren't the only ones being kept in the dungeons. There were others, like that little girl.

“Doubt this brat will last any longer than the others, though. Man, what a joke.” Braig shook his head.

“What are you talking about!?" Lea demanded. Did they mean Isa, or other prisoners? He wasn't sure.

“If you knew how to behave yourself like your little friend, maybe we wouldn't be using you like this.”

Lea had no response for Dilan. _So, does that mean Isa's okay?_

“I mean, it's not like we've got much use for these kids, anyways. But we can't have 'em out and about. Not after what they've seen.” Braig was beside himself with amusement. He looked at Lea with a smirk. “Ya know, Red, you really should have eaten your food. But play time's over. You're coming with us. We've got a job for you.”

Dilan turned the key, opening the cell door, then motioned for Lea to come with him.

Lea grudgingly followed him out of the cell into the castle's hallway.

Although no natural light could be seen inside the castle, it was definitely nighttime. Quiet. Everyone seemed to be asleep, including Ansem the Wise. It was the perfect time for the apprentices to conduct illicit research without their master's knowledge.

The hallyway's design was markedly different from the lab area Lea saw when he first made his way inside. It had a more classical look. After walking through the dim castle, Lea was led down the long spiral stairway by Dilan and Braig. When they reached the bottom, they stood in front of a door.

“So, what am I supposed to be doing, anyway?” Lea asked brusquely, not looking his captors in the eye.

Lea could feel nothing but utter contempt from Dilan. He never deigned to speak to him—or anyone, for that matter—longer than he had to. And he was always far meaner than the other guard who always threw him and Isa out.

“Observe the creatures. When we return, you are to report your findings to us.”

_Creatures!? What the hell!?_

The metal door slowly opened after Dilan entered a code into the device on the wall. He shoved Lea inside the room and the door automatically shut behind him.

The room was rather large and well-lit, though the lighting was harsh and artificial. It felt cold and sterile with its pure white walls. The floors were dark and shiny, with a checkered pattern in the marble tiles. A red light could be seen above the doorway indicating it was mechanically locked.

Lea was unaware that the area in which he stood was very new. Ienzo spurred Ansem to build this massive laboratory in the basement of his castle after they began experimenting on the newest apprentice, Xehanort.

Standing inside the room was a small group of people and a handful of black creatures, a few feet tall. This was Lea's first time laying eyes on them: the Heartless. Although he didn't know it at the time, the great City of Light would soon fall, along with most of its inhabitants. These creatures would be the harbinger of that fall.

Later on, Xehanort would write a segment of the fourth of his many reports:

_“The Heartless appear in groups, and are multiplying rapidly. I've provided them both living and nonliving samples. They've responded only to the living. They seem to multiply after absorbing something from the living creatures. Their prey vanishes without a trace._

_I believe the Heartless are taking hearts. They are born from those who've lost their hearts, and thrive on hearts seized from others. The hearts taken by the Heartless become Heartless themselves._

_Though I lack proof, I am confident in this hypothesis. I must also study their behavioral principles. Though they lack emotions, they do seem to have some intelligence. How to communicate with them? It's just occurred to me: Could they be the darkness in people's hearts?”_


	4. Believe

The beautiful sunshine glimmered down over the secret forest. The leaves were rustling in the gentle morning breeze. The squirrels were frolicking and the birds were chirping. It was another day here in this world. Lea woke up at sunrise, ate breakfast, and drank tea alongside Kairi. Then they prepared for another day of training.

“Good morning,” Kairi politely bowed and greeted Merlin.

“So, what's on the schedule today, Merlin?” Lea asked while stretching.

“Ah, yes. Today is very important. I would like you to practice your meditation,” Merlin calmly replied.

 _Meditation? Seriously? Sheesh, I thought we were finally gonna begin fighting with our Keyblades._ Merlin was taking the Keyblade practice at a very slow pace. Lea wasn't sure if this was the best method, but he wasn't in any position to question it. Even though he often forgot, they weren't exactly in any hurry. Not that it helped with his impatience.

While Lea was thinking, another visitor appeared in the secret forest in a cloud of sparkly magic dust.

“Good morning, dears.” It was The Fairy Godmother from Cinderella's world. Kairi had been told that in a previous adventure, she helped Sora with summoning gems.

“Thank you for coming. I really appreciate your assistance with our new trainees,” Merlin greeted the guest.

“Of course, Merlin,” The Fairy Godmother said with a warm tone. “I know what's at stake. After my own world was lost to darkness, I owe very much to you and Sora.”

 _So, she's going to be helping us train?_ Kairi wondered to herself.

“Hello there, children. I am Cinderella's Fairy Godmother. Merlin has asked me to help guide you in your training. So, let me begin by asking you. Do you believe that dreams can come true?” She looked at Lea and Kairi with a kind smile on her face.

“Yes, of course,” Kairi answered without hesitation while nodding.

Her dreams had already come true, after all. After the battle with Xemnas, Sora and Riku reappeared on Destiny Islands. Kairi remembered how she felt when Sora returned her lucky charm to her. He was home. That was all Kairi wanted for so long. It was her sincerest wish when she let her bottled message loose in the sea. Sora and Riku returned home all because her letter reached them. It was a dream come true.

Lea, however, didn't respond. _What kind of question is that? Do I believe my dreams can come true? I don't know. I know that I_ want _them to come true, but I don't really think that's the same thing. Besides, it's not like I have a good track record with my dreams coming true._

Lea thought back his youth, when he tried to sneak inside the castle. It was his dream to see the inside, where the great Ansem lived. In the end, that dream was the cause of a terrible nightmare. Maybe he really _had_ forgotten how to dream.

“And you, my dear?” The Fairy Godmother was looking expectantly at Lea.

“Well, I sure hope so. I mean, that _is_ why I'm here, after all,” Lea replied with just the slightest hint of sarcasm.

“It's of the utmost importance for you to believe that they can. That is your greatest weapon in the battle against the darkness.” The Fairy Godmother spoke with absolute confidence.

Kairi and Lea both looked at each other, a little lost. They were here to master the Keyblade, so they stood a chance during the final battle against Organization XIII. How exactly is _believing_ their greatest weapon?

Merlin chimed in. “I'll have you know, the Keyblade is not like other ordinary weapons. It responds to the strength of the wielder's _heart_. It is a weapon that judges its wielder's very worth. Not just anybody can summon one like you both have. Therefore, strengthening your heart is just as important as strengthening your technique.” Merlin knew a thing or two about weapons that were choosy about their owners.

“If you did not believe in dreams, the Keyblade would not have chosen you,” the Fairy Godmother explained. “Think back to the moment you summoned yours. What feelings did you hold in your heart? You don't have to speak them out loud. Just visualize them in your mind. Close your eyes and let those feelings fill your heart. Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!” The Fairy Godmother waved her wand. A little magic would help Lea and Kairi relive the moment in their minds.

Kairi closed her eyes and saw a vivid memory. She escaped the prison in The World That Never Was. She had reunited with Riku. It didn't matter what he looked like. All that mattered was that they were together again. She finally saw Sora, who was under attack by Heartless. Nothing would stop her. _I wanted to protect Sora_.

Lea did the same. He saw himself back in Yen Sid's Tower. Sora had woken up, after almost being made into Xehanort's vessel. He grabbed Riku in a warm embrace. Lea was so happy for them. He was filled with a new sense of hope. He remembered how much hope he had when he was recompleted. But Isa wasn't there. Lea remembered the blank stare Isa had when he attacked him in the Sleeping World. Lea knew at that moment that his friend had simply been Xehanort's puppet all along. Like Terra. _I wanted to save Isa_.

“Very good. Your Keyblade exists to help you achieve your dreams. Now, think back to the time when your dreams seemed most out of reach.”

Kairi remembered all those days she was left waiting on Destiny Island. She watched the sunset all by herself, unsure if her two best friends would ever return home. She waited and waited. She wished that she could leave the island to look for Sora and Riku. She wished that there was something—anything—she could do to help them, for once. But it seemed like that was impossible. For the longest time, she couldn't even remember Sora's name. She felt so useless.

There were a lot of times Lea felt like his dreams were out of reach. Probably ever since he first joined the organization, in fact. Looking back, though, he always had _hope_ , however small. There was a time that he lost even that, however. An image came to Lea's mind. He was in the prison room in The World That Never Was. He had come to rescue Kairi. Saïx stood in his way. Axel didn't want to fight him, but he had to, for Kairi's sake. Saïx's claymore had pierced his chest. At that moment, everything seemed completely hopeless. Everything he ever cared about was lost to him.

He remembered how he felt as he was lying on the ground, disappearing after saving Sora. He thought that maybe, just maybe, if he could see Roxas one more time, some of his pain would finally go away. Maybe Roxas could reassure him that he had a heart, and that when he faded away...he might go somewhere instead of ceasing to exist. He saw Roxas. Was it just the dream of a fading Nobody? He wasn't sure. Roxas told him he was going back to Sora. He cried for the first time since losing his heart. He knew, at that moment, that he _did_ have a heart. But, it was too late for his dreams to ever come true. Or at least, he _thought_ it was too late.

“You summoned your Keyblade so you would always have hope. You're fighting not just for the sake of your _life_ , but for the sake of your _dream_. As long as you believe in that dream, the forces of darkness cannot harm you. Please, never forget that,” The Fairy Godmother warned.

 _Is that true? Just believe and your dream will come true? Is it really that easy?_ Lea wasn't so sure. He wanted to believe it was, though. The Fairy Godmother's advice reminded him of the time he was able to fly with Roxas in Neverland. All he had to do was believe, and the tiny fairy's magic worked. He flew. _I'm sure Roxas would say it was that easy._

* * *

The meditation continued for a while, then it was sunset once again. Lea and Kairi headed to their usual spot—the rock at the cliffside.

“You know, today's training made me realize something.” Kairi looked right at Lea as she spoke. “It was thanks to you that I can wield a Keyblade.” The look in her eyes was totally sincere.

Lea looked away and scratched his head. “Pfft, I didn't do anything.” _Why is she thanking_ me _?_

“But you did. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have even left the islands. Thanks, Lea.” Her tone was soft and sweet.

Lea jolted a bit upon hearing that. “I'm really, _really_ sorry about that,” he stammered awkwardly.

“Lea, I told you. You don't have to keep apologizing,” she gently scolded.

“Well, I _am_ sorry,” he said while shrugging. “Besides, you jumped into the darkness all on your own.”

“Yeah.” She giggled a bit. “I guess I wanted to see Sora so badly, I forgot to be afraid. It was the same when I fought the Heartless for the first time. I just...wanted to protect him. Now that I think about it, I guess _that's_ how I summoned my Keyblade.” Kairi thought back to when she leapt down from the balcony in The World That Never Was and fought the group of Heartless that were attacking Sora. All she wanted was to keep him safe, but she wasn't strong enough. Then, Riku handed her a Keyblade of her very own.

“Well, Kairi, I guess we really _do_ have a lot in common.” Lea sounded amused, almost as if he were making the remark to himself.

“Hm? What do you mean?”

Lea sat silently with his hands on his knees. He waited a few moments before responding. “Well, we both have someone...we want to protect. That's why we decided to fight.” He was looking up and squinting at the glowing red sky as he said it.

“Really? Who?” Kairi knew that he wanted to see Roxas. But she didn't know there was someone he wanted to _protect_. 

“My best friend,” Lea said softly. “He was from Radiant Garden, too. I...wanted to save him. But I needed a Keyblade. That's why I'm here.”

 _So that's why he wanted a Keyblade._ “Is he in trouble?” Kairi tilted her head, her gaze fixated on Lea.

Lea looked to the side. “He's...” He took a deep breath and then finished his statement. “He's in the organization.” He grimaced. He had trouble even getting those words out. “I just wanted to help him. That's the only reason I even joined Organization XIII in the first placed.”

Kairi's eyes widened in surprise. _So, he wasn't just talking about the Keyblade when he mentioned fighting. He was talking about even before that._ “What do you mean, Lea?” She was very curious.

“Well, I guess you could say...you've already met him. Saïx,” Lea said quietly with no discernible emotion on his face.

Kairi gasped. _No way! Him!?_ That _guy is Lea's best friend!? But that guy tried to kill him! And he's the one who kidnapped me. How—_

“He's like Terra,” Lea quickly interjected. “Or Xemnas, to be more accurate.” The tone of his voice was flat.

“Lea...” Kairi's expression immediately changed to reflect her concern for her new friend. _Lea...he looks so lonely. It sounds like he's been in the organization for a pretty long time, trying to help his friend. I don't even know what to say._

“Isa,” Lea mumbled.

“Huh?”

“My best friend. His name was Isa. Y'know, before he joined the organization,” Lea replied a bit awkwardly.

Kairi listened intently as Lea spoke a little more about his best friend. It was the first time he had opened up about his past to anyone. Even Roxas. For some reason he felt comfortable around Kairi. Like they were old friends. Maybe it was because she was a Princess of Heart. He wasn't sure. He just knew that he really liked talking to her. She was so relaxing to be around. Like...Isa.

After speaking his real name out loud for the first time, it made Lea miss his old best friend even more. He remembered feeling like this before, a long time ago. Back then, all he wanted was to stay alive long enough to see Isa again. Those feelings kept the darkness away. They helped him survive.

* * *

Lea was in a large room of the underground laboratory where the apprentices were conducting dangerous experiments on the darkness of the heart. Right now, they were studying the behavior of the Heartless that were produced from these experiments.

 _What the hell_ are _these things!?_ Lea looked on in amazement at the unusual beings that stood before him. They were black, ant-like creatures with yellow eyes and antennae. He'd never seen anything like them before. There were about five or six of them wandering about, sometimes sinking into the floor.

 _Observe them? What am I supposed to be observing!?_ Lea stood with his back against the wall, simply watching the creatures. The handful of other prisoners were doing the same thing. The black creatures were pacing around the room, as if searching for something. Lea wasn't quite sure if they were even aware of his presence or not. _This is going to be a long night._

One of the prisoners fell to his hands and knees in despair, as the others looked on. “Why!? Why me!? I can't go on like this!” As soon as he did, the creatures swarmed him. In almost an instant, his heart was ejected from his body and he vanished into thin air.

Everyone else in the room let out a cry.

Lea was terrified. _H-He's gone...!_ He felt himself lose his breath as he watched the man disappear without a trace and another black creature materialize.

Here he was, in a room full of monsters. If they got to him, he'd be a goner, too. And he still had no idea where Isa was. Maybe these creatures had gotten to him already. Lea's heart was racing and his breathing became labored. He closed his eyes. _No._ _I don't want to die._

“Looks like the darkness got to him,” said a dark-skinned man with an afro and a green jacket. He appeared to be in his late 30's or early 40's.

“Damn it! They'll pay for this!” a tall light-skinned man with blonde hair shouted. He had a long white trench coat and a black bandanna. He looked young. Lea thought he was probably in his late teens or early twenties.

“Wait, Snow!” the older man yelled, as the younger man rushed into a swarm of black creatures and attacked.

“Sazh! Watch my back!” Snow yelled.

“I'm gettin' too old for this,” he sighed and held a hand to his forehead. A tiny yellow bird popped out of his hair and chirped, as if it were in response to Sazh's complaining.

* * *

Isa had been sitting all alone in his dungeon cell for days. The only human interaction he got was the guards checking up on him every now and then. Other than that, he spent the long hours by himself. The lonely silence often filled his mind with unpleasant thoughts. He wasn't as unfailingly positive as Lea was. It was difficult for him to remain hopeful without Lea around.

Early one morning, Isa was awoken by an argument between two people.

“Hey, don't blame me. Xehanort was the one who ordered it. Those things are getting out of control down there. We can't let you-know-who find about 'em,” said the first voice. Isa recognized it. It belonged to Braig.

The second voice belonged to a middle aged man with long blonde hair parted down the middle. Isa had seen him a few times before, actually. He would occasionally take walks around town with a small boy. He was Ansem's most brilliant apprentice, Even. “This is totally unacceptable! We've already lost over half of our subjects!"

Isa immediately jolted out of bed when he heard that.

“Hey, you need to take it up with the boss, then. You really wanna put him in a bad mood?”

Even scoffed and walked away.

Not long after, Braig arrived in front of Isa's cell to deliver breakfast, as he usually did. He slid the tray under the bars. “Being a good boy?”

“Sir, can you please tell me if my friend is okay?” Isa asked quietly, not making eye contact. He always tried to be as obedient and deferential as possible in the hopes that the guards would be more lenient with him. He asked about Lea every day, but never received a direct answer.

“Aww. You worried about your friend? You're so cute, aren't you, kiddo?” Braig always seemed to take pleasure in Isa's distress and toyed with him.

Isa lowered his head and sighed. It seemed like he wasn't going to get any answers today, either.

* * *

Snow was a large and imposing man. He simply used his brute strength and his fists to take the creatures on. After several hits from him, they disappeared, just like the person whose heart they took. After several minutes of tussling, the small group of Heartless menacing them was gone. The few Shadows that were left were simply wandering the room. It still seemed like they were sensing something. Some of Lea's terror subsided after watching Snow fight with such confidence.

“Now, now. Let's not be so impulsive next time, huh, Mr. Hero? They said _observe_ , not _destroy_.” Sazh shook his head, then looked over at Lea. “Geez. Can't believe they sent a kid down here...”

“Look, if we don't fight back, we'll just be sitting ducks. I'm not gonna end up like that other guy.” Snow shrugged his shoulders in response to Sazh, then directed his attention to Lea again. “Name's Snow. This here's Sazh. What's your name?”

“Lea.”

“Well, Lea, you're in good hands. You just stick close to me. I'll take good care of you. Okay?" Snow spoke with bravado, but his words also contained warmth and kindness, which Lea deeply appreciated after being alone for so long.

“Um, what's going on here?”

“Ah. You must be new,” Sazh replied to Lea in a flat manner.

Snow sensed Sazh's hesitation and took it upon himself to explain. “Well, those guys from the castle have been kidnapping a bunch of people. Said they want to learn the secrets of the darkness of the heart, whatever that means. Guess 'cause they're the Sage-King's men, they think they can just take people off the street and do whatever they want with 'em. Bunch of street urchins like us? Well, I guess they consider us disposable,” Snow scoffed. He sounded thoroughly disgusted as he punched his fist into his other hand.

“So, they just kidnapped you!?” Lea's eyes widened in horror. _What is going on? Why would the Sage-King do that_ _!?_ Lea questioned everything he thought he knew about life in the peaceful paradise of Radiant Garden. His entire world view was now shattered. He always thought life was safe. He never knew such darkness was lurking right under his nose, in the one place he least expected it.

“Yeah. Me and all my friends. We got ambushed. Then they dragged us here and locked us up.”

“What are those monsters?”

“Well, we're not entirely sure,” Sazh looked away for a moment, then explained with a grim tone. “Heard those scientist guys call 'em 'Heartless'. Apparently, they're studying 'em. Trying to figure out what they are. And I guess that makes us the guinea pigs.” Sazh looked just as disgusted as Snow.

“We think...they might be the ones who didn't make it. Y'know. The people who lost their hearts to the darkness.” Snow sounded uncharacteristically serious.

Lea suddenly felt terror wash over him again. It was almost too difficult to accept, but he did see it happen with his own eyes. The man lost his heart, then vanished into thin air. He remembered the faint screaming he heard at night, too. _Is that gonna happen to me?_

“Snow!” Sazh gave Snow a harsh look. “He's just a kid,” he mumbled under his breath.

“Right. Sorry,” Snow said apologetically.

The atmosphere now felt tense. Lea tried to hide his growing anxiety. “Have you...seen my friend? He's my age with blue hair and a blue jacket." He was almost too afraid to ask.

“No. You're the first kid we've seen down here. And we've been here for a while now. I'm sorry.” Sazh looked sad.

“Oh. Well, I guess that's good. That means he's probably safe, for now.” _Are they really telling me the truth?_ _Isa. Please be okay._ Lea tightened his fists.

“Yeah. I'm sure he is. Well, you're probably gonna be staying down here a while.” Sazh tried his best to console Lea. “Don't push yourself too hard. And make sure you get some rest when they take you to your new cell. They've been bringin' us here every night to observe those things. As long as you stay calm, you should be okay."

“Yeah. Sure thing,” Lea replied in a monotone voice. He was staring at his sneakers.

“Hey, we'll find your friend, kid. Don't worry. Then, all of us are gonna bust outta here. Everything will be fine. Just leave it to us grown-ups. All right?” Snow placed his hand on Lea's back and winked at him. He sounded so self-assured. He was probably just trying to make Lea feel better, but it really did sound like he believed what he was saying. Maybe Lea just _wanted_ to believe him.

“Hey now, don't go making big promises you can't keep. You got any idea _how_ we're gonna get out of here?” Sazh didn't sound as convinced as Snow. He wanted to reassure Lea as much as Snow did. It was no doubt his fatherly instincts. But at the same time, he didn't wanna _lie_ to the kid.

“No.” The smile left Snow's face, but his tone remained firm. “But it doesn't matter.”

“Oh really? And why is that?”

“Because.” Snow clutched his necklace. “I have somebody waiting for me.”

Sazh sighed, then replied softly. “Well, guess that makes both of us.”

“My future wife needs her hero. I _will_ make it out of here alive. Simple as that.” Snow had his hands on his hips. He seemed like he was in good spirits again.

Lea smiled as he looked up at him. _Yeah_. _I have someone waiting for me, too._


	5. Reunion

It was the end of yet another day of training. Lea and Kairi were finally using their Keyblades. Merlin tasked them with fighting phantom Heartless he created with magic. It was pretty easy practice for Lea. He'd fought plenty of Heartless during his time in the organization. For Kairi, this was all new, however.

“You good, Kairi?” Lea asked.

“Yeah. I guess I'm just not used to it, that's all. Sora and Riku always used to fight with toy swords and race each other. But...I'd always just watch,” she said with a little embarrassment.

“Well, don't push yourself too hard, all right?”

“I know.” She looked up at Lea and began giggling.

“Hey, what's so funny!?”

“Well, this was supposed to be a practice session, but you barely let me fight.” She had a warm and patient smile.

It was true. Lea took on the majority of the enemies himself and shielded Kairi practically the whole time. He didn't even realize he probably prevented her from gaining valuable combat experience.

“Oh. Uh, sorry about that,” Lea said with a slight chuckle, scratching the back of his head.

“You don't have to be so protective, Lea. They're not real Heartless.”

“Yeah. Guess I was just, uh, acting on instinct.” When he fought alongside Roxas, he could never hold a candle to his strength. That was just the power of the Keyblade, he figured. He didn't feel so protective around him. But Kairi was another matter. She brought out another side of Lea. One that was long dormant.

“I just don't want to be a burden on you, that's all. Sora and Riku have always been looking out for me and protecting me. I just want to be able to pull my own weight for once.”

Kairi glanced down at the Keyblade she held in her hand. She remembered the day she gave Sora her lucky charm. Sora told her to stay behind while he went off alone to save Riku. She desperately wanted to help him, but she knew that she'd just get in his way.

“When I reunited with Sora on the day I summoned my Keyblade, I promised myself that _I'd_ be the one to protect _him_.” She looked up at Lea and smiled. “I want to be able to protect you, too, Lea.” 

“Right. Gotcha. I'll er, try to not be so overprotective then.”

“Thanks.”

 _Huh. This feels so familiar,_ Lea thought to himself.

* * *

Braig once again delivered breakfast to Isa, who was waiting patiently in his cell.

 _“Please_. Will you just let me see him once?” Isa begged.

“As if. That brat's down underneath the castle with all the other troublemakers. If he's still around, that is. Most of 'em have been wiped out, so odds aren't all that good, I'm afraid,” Braig cheerfully replied. He still had a smug grin painted on his face.

Isa began to feel lightheaded upon hearing the news, like he would pass out any second. He couldn't even think about the possibility that Lea didn't make it. A sharp pain could be felt behind his forehead. The room around him began to look blurry.

Braig noticed the look of horror on the boy's face. “Well, don't worry. I'm sure you'll be joining him soon enough at the rate we're going,” he chuckled.

Isa had no response for him. Just a sharp glare. It was the first time he gave the guards any hint of an attitude.

“Now, now. Didn't your mother ever teach you that it's rude to glare at people like that?” Braig was still smiling, but he seemed agitated for some reason. “Well, you go ahead and eat up. 'Cause later, you'll be coming with me.”

After Braig left, Isa ignored his food and crawled into the corner of his cell. He sat curled up, hugging his knees, with his face buried in his lap.

_Lea...if you're not around...I can't..._

* * *

Lea had been spending his days and nights in a large room of the underground laboratory, gathering as much information on the Heartless and their behavioral patterns as he could. Snow was helping him learn how to defend himself from the creatures, which had been slowly multiplying.

During combat, Lea followed Snow's lead, though he didn't exactly have his kind of raw power. He didn't consider himself weak or anything, but he didn't have a brawny physique like he did. Lea had a slim build. He was exceptionally quick and light on his feet, though, which had gotten him out of a lot of tricky situations.

He took out the two red frisbees he had with him when he was abducted, then quickly darted behind a Heartless and flung a frisbee at it. The Heartless took a direct hit to the back and disappeared. He caught the disc when it came back to him.

“Not bad, kid. Not bad,” Snow congratulated Lea on their victory.

“Thanks.” Lea felt pretty hopeful for the first time since he was imprisoned. It was satisfying to pummel those things. And now he knew that they could be defeated without _too_ much difficulty. It was encouraging to know he could defend himself.

After they were finished taking out some of the Shadows, Sazh approached the pair. “Hey, you two. They sent some new people down here just now.”

“Really!?” Snow darted off towards the entrance of the room. He was hoping to see his friends, or maybe even his fiancé. Lea followed closely behind.

Among the new prisoners was a tough-looking young woman with light purple hair. Lea thought she looked unfriendly. She wouldn't acknowledge anyone. However, she seemed to recognize Snow.

Lea looked around a bit more and saw someone sitting against the wall, curled up with his head buried in his lap. There was no mistaking it. It was him. _Isa!_

Isa was oblivious to his surroundings. He seemed resigned to whatever fate had in store for him. Several Heartless were hovering near him, looking ready to seize on the opportunity to attack a defenseless target. _I can't go on anymore..._

“Isa!” Lea ran as fast as he could to his friend's side and immediately destroyed the weak Heartless that surrounded him.

At that moment, Isa looked up and couldn't believe his eyes. There was Lea, safe and sound.

“Are you all right!?” _He's okay! I'm so glad he's okay!_ Lea held his hand out to Isa and helped him on his feet. “What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost.” Lea adopted a cheerful demeanor to ease some of Isa's obvious distress.

Even after he stood up, Isa wouldn't let go of Lea's hands. “They told me...everyone was wiped out. I was so worried about you,” he said in a tiny voice. He was pale and could barely string a sentence together.

“I'm glad you're okay, too.” Lea didn't quite know what to say. He was still holding Isa's hands while a wave of relief washed over him. He'd spent so long worrying about Isa. Now that they were finally together again, things didn't seem so bleak and hopeless anymore. For some reason, it made him so happy to see how much Isa worried about him.

“I see you found your friend.” Sazh was looking at them with a kind smile.

“Oh. Uh, yeah. This is Isa,” Lea said through his embarrassment, scratching the back of his head. His face was still pretty red.

“It's a good thing you're safe, Isa. This guy here was worried sick.” Snow looked over at Lea with a grin.

Isa looked down at the floor and smiled at Snow's words. His face was turning a bit red as well.

“H-hey...” Lea awkwardly stammered. _Man, that guy has a big mouth..._

Snow put one hand on Isa's shoulder and one hand on Lea's shoulder. “I'm gonna take care of you kids. We'll all get outta here, you'll see.”

“There he goes again. Mr. Hero...” Sazh affectionately teased while rolling his eyes.

“Oh, you're gonna save everyone? Is that so?” said a voice coming from behind them.

“Hey. I'm glad to see you're okay...” Snow greeted the unenthusiastic young woman.

“Hmph,” she coldly replied.

“Listen. I'm sorry. I—” But before he could get the words out, the voice of one of the apprentices interrupted.

It was Aeleus. He was standing next to Dilan. “I have orders for all of you. You are to eliminate all the creatures this room, then from the upper floors of the castle.”

 _There are Heartless up there now, too?_ Lea thought to himself.

Dilan promptly spoke up next. “You will each be assigned a room. If there are any creatures left by the time we return, you will be punished. I will be back shortly to take you to the appropriate rooms. You are to stay in those rooms until we return. No wandering around or there will be severe consequences.”

It seemed like everyone was going to have to split up. Sazh was assigned to the Lift Stop, Snow to the Grand Hall, and Lightning to the Chapel. Lea was assigned to take care of the Entrance Hall, and Isa the Library. After giving the instructions, Dilan and Aeleus left.

“Listen, Lightning...” Snow stammered, trying to get through the young woman's icy demeanor.

Lightning gave him a dirty look, then turned her back on the others. “You're on your own. Everyone needs to rely on themselves now.”

Snow sighed.

“Man. That one's a bit scary, huh?” Sazh commented to Lea, trying to ease the tense atmosphere.

But Lea was too distracted to pay much attention. He had something else to worry about.

“What am I gonna do?” Isa slumped down to the floor.

Lea noticed his friend's worried expression. He knelt down, and put his hand on his shoulder, peering at his face. “Hey, what's the matter?”

“I...can't beat those things, Lea. I don't know the first thing about fighting. They're...gonna get rid of me once they find out I'm useless...”

“Hey, don't say crazy stuff. You think I'd ever let something like that happen?”

“But...”

“Don't worry. I'll figure something out. Just trust me.”

* * *

Lea and Isa were given clearance to enter the Entrance Hall and the Library, respectively. The Entrance Hall was a spacious room with a fountain in the center that was decorated with gargoyles. There was also a large chandelier overhead. The lighting in the room was a dim shade of green and it had a vaguely creepy atmosphere. In the middle of the room was a large staircase and a fountain. On the upper lever, there were suits of armor with decorative weapons. Some held lances, while others had swords.

“Man, we're lucky the Entrance Hall and the Library are so close together, huh?”

“I'm sorry, Lea. Now you have to clear out twice as many Heartless because of me...”

The plan was pretty simple. Lea agreed to clear out both his and Isa's rooms. It was twice as much work, but it was the only thing he could think of so that neither of them would get in trouble.

“Isa, I don't mind. Really, it's no big deal. Friends gotta lean on each other every now and then. Got it memorized?” Lea playfully pointed to his temple.

Isa smiled back with a shy grin.

The boys walked towards the fountain situated in the middle of the staircase. The head of the fountain was shaped like a snake...or maybe a dragon. There were two stone-faced gargoyles at the side of the snake-dragon.

Lea pointed at the fountain with his finger. “Hey, look, Isa! It's Braig, Dilan, and Aeleus!”

Isa looked over at Lea with a large grin. “As if!” he retorted, imitating Braig's unique speech pattern.

“Oh, don't you even go there. That guy is _so_ annoying,” Lea joked.

“I know. Tell me about it. He's such a jerk."

Lea took another look around the room. “Man, all these statues are so creepy. I'm starting to think Ansem the Wise must be a vampire or something.”

“Oh! Hey, look!” Isa ran towards one of the suits of armor.

“Isa, wait! Don't run off on your own like that!” Lea darted off after him.

“It's okay. Look at these guys. Maybe we can use their weapons.”

 _“You_ wanna wield a sword? Are you crazy!? You'll hurt yourself!” Lea said loudly while waving his hands. _Isa wielding a big sword? That's an utterly terrifying thought._

Isa just looked at him. “...Lea. It's just a decoration. It's not even that sharp.” His voice was deadpan. “But, maybe I can bash the Heartless if they get too close.” Isa picked up the sword from the suit of armor. “Whoa!” It was a bit too heavy for him and he struggled to maintain his balance.

“Hey! Be careful with that!” Lea cringed. “Look, why don't you go ahead and put that back? I don't need you accidentally impaling me. Just leave the fighting to me.”

Lea was always good at sports or anything physical. He enjoyed competing with the other boys his age in play fights. Plus, he was fast. Nobody in his class could ever outrun him. But Isa was different. The only sport he ever engaged in was playing frisbee with Lea. He was extremely smart and knowledgeable. But Lea knew he wasn't very athletic. He couldn't win a fight to save his life. He'd rather hang out and eat ice cream than do anything too strenuous. In their current situation, he was extremely vulnerable. And so Lea felt incredibly protective of him. Overprotective, probably.

“Are you sure you don't want me to help?”

“Heh. Positive.”

“So, um. What should I do then?”

“Don't let your guard down. We still don't know where those things are yet.”

“What about you, Lea? Aren't you gonna use a weapon?”

“I've already got mine. Ta-da!” Lea took out his two frisbees and twirled them around his fingers. “These babies have gotten me this far. Plus, they're short-range AND long-range. And well, I'm not used to fighting with anything else.”

“But those are just toys...”

“True strength doesn't come from a weapon, Isa. It comes from the heart.” Lea pointed at himself with his thumb to complement his obvious attempt at a joke.

Isa rolled his eyes, trying to hide his smile. “If you say so, Mr. Hero.”

Just then the boys heard a noise behind them.

“It's them! Isa, get behind me!”

“O-okay.” Isa ran behind Lea. “I'm right behind you.”

Coming at them were about four white creatures. Their movements were janky, like the Shadows, but they were different somehow. Lea and Isa had never seen them before and had no idea what they were.

“Hey, Lea, what are those things? They're not Heartless...”

“I'm not sure. But stay back.” Lea positioned himself in front of his friend.

The white creatures simply darted around the room. Unlike the Heartless, they didn't seem to have any particular inclination to attack them.

Lea was frustrated by their agility. They were very fast, so it was hard to hit them. Lea slipped and landed face first on the floor. “Damn these things!” 

“Are you okay, Lea? Are you sure you don't need my help?”

“Isa! Whatever you do, just stay behind me! Get away from those things! I've got it covered!”

“Okay...”

The creatures weren't a huge threat to Lea, but he didn't want them to get anywhere near the unarmed Isa. He'd already seen somebody lose their heart and was incredibly anxious about the safety of his friend. After several minutes, Lea was finally able to defeat the annoying white creatures.

“There we go! Now let's go take care of your room.”

After taking care of the Entrance Hall, Lea and Isa entered the Library in a hurry. They didn't know when the apprentices would be back to check on them. The warm moonlight filtered in through the stained glass windows and gave the room a serene atmosphere. It was the first glimpse of the outside world either of them had in weeks. They didn't see any creatures when they entered. Just shelf after shelf of books.

“Whoa, look at all these books! This place is perfect for you, huh, Isa?”

Isa walked through the aisles of shelves. He picked up one book that caught his eye and peered inside.

Lea looked at the cover. _Astrologia._ “Oh, that's like fortune-telling, right? Maybe it'll tell us if we're ever gonna get outta here...”

“Well, it's a bit more complicated than that. It's the study of the celestial bodies—you know, like the Sun and the Moon—and the influence they have on people and the universe.”

“Hm. Sounds...really boring.”

Isa scoffed and rolled his eyes. “It's pretty interesting, if you actually read about it.”

Lea picked up a nearby book. “Ooooh. This one sounds a lot more exciting! 'The Secret History of the Keyblade War’.”

“What's a 'Keyblade'?”

“Dunno, but I kinda want one now!” Lea swung his arms around pretending to wield a Keyblade.

Just then, they heard a noise. It was more of the white creatures. They were darting around on the upper floor.

“There's my cue! Here we go! Stay back, Isa!”

Lea took out four of the creatures inside of the Entrance Hall. There were two of them in the Library. He chased them around the bookshelves and up and down the stairs.

After striking down the last one, Lea fell on his backside, and his back was knocked into one of the shelves. A few books fell down on top of him. “Gahh!” He began rubbing his head. “Owwwww. Stupid books. Stupid white things,” he continued to grumble under his breath.

“Are you okay, Lea?” Isa knelt down beside him.

“Of course! That...that...was nothing!” Lea was still panting, trying to catch his breath.

 _He really saved me._ “Thank you, Lea. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here. You're amazing.”

 _Never thought I'd hear him say_ that. “Heh. It's no big deal.” Lea was flustered, scratching his head. He couldn't help but smile and blush at the sincere compliment.

“Well, I could never fight like that, that's for sure.”

Lea stood up. “Then, let's just stick together. Whatever they order you to do, I'll just do it for you. That way, they'll never know you're not the one taking them out.”

“All right, Lea. Thank you.”

“Aww, come on. We're friends, aren't we? Friends help each other out when they're in trouble. You don't have to keep thanking me. Got it memorized?” he said with a cheerful smile.

Despite his protests, Isa noticed how much Lea enjoyed it when he received praise. He couldn't hold back his laughter.

“Hey, what's so funny!?”

“You. Ya know, you're a lot like that Snow guy.”

“What!? No way! I am not!”

Isa continued to laugh even more.

Lea couldn't help but join in. The two boys laughed together for the first time since being imprisoned.


	6. The Light Within the Darkness

Lea and Kairi once again finished training for the day. Things were going very smoothly. They both were starting to become more comfortable wielding a Keyblade. However, Lea wasn’t exactly in top form today.

“Are you okay, Lea? You seem pretty tired today.” Kairi looked up at her training partner. Her expression was filled with concern.

“I'm fine. Just had a bit of trouble falling asleep last night, that's all.”

“Something the matter?”

In fact, Lea had been having trouble sleeping for the last few days. He awoke several times during the night after having nightmares. It wasn't a rare occurrence for him, though. It's something he'd been dealing with since his human days.

“Nah. Guess I've just been stressing out a bit over training. Think I'm gonna hit the sack early for the night. See you later.” Lea held up his hand to wave.

Kairi watched as he walked away. “Oh. Okay.” _Gee, I hope nothing's bothering him._

Lea went back to his room in the large cottage in the woods and immediately collapsed in his bed. He was extremely tired, but, as usual, it took a while for him to fall asleep.

 _I can see why Kairi is so important to Sora_. _Princess Kairi. There's just something...special about her._

He stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.

_Sora. He was begging me to see Kairi after she was kidnapped._

He rolled onto his side.

_I used her to try and turn him into a Heartless._

He sighed deeply.

_I didn’t think I had a heart back then, but...I knew how he felt that day..._

The words he spoke to Sora in Castle Oblivion over a year ago came back to haunt him: 

_**“You will just have to give some more thought to who it is that's—most important to you. Our most precious memories lie so deep within our hearts that they're out of reach.”** _

_Yeah. I guess that was true, after all._

**_“You have lost sight of the light within the darkness. And it seems that you've forgotten that you_ ** **_forgot_ _._** ** _”_ **

_I'm sorry, Sora. The one who forgot...was me_ , Lea thought to himself as he lay in bed. 

* * *

For once, Lea was actually sleeping soundly in his cell. It was a sign of how tired he really was. But, as usual, he was rudely awakened in the middle of the night by a certain someone.

“Rise and shine,” the familiar voice pestered him, like it always did.

“Ugh, five more minutes...”

This response seemed to amuse Braig. “No can do. Time to come with me, Red. Gotta make yourself useful.”

Lea was then escorted by Braig to the large white room and left and left with the other prisoners.

“Are you okay, Lea? You seem tired today,” Isa asked with a concerned expression.

Lea _was_ tired. Really tired. He wasn't sleeping well lately. Naturally, he had a lot on his mind. Like what would happen if he and Isa got assigned different rooms today? Or what the apprentices would do if they found out he'd been helping him on his missions? Or what exactly those men planned to do with them both eventually? Lea doubted that they would simply be exterminating monsters from the castle forever. Would they ever be released? He did his best, as always, to put on a brave face for Isa, but he was extremely anxious.

“I'm fine. Just need a little nap, I guess,” he replied cheerfully. 

It was time for yet another night. Dilan, Even, and Braig arrived down in the basement lab. This time, however, a new man was with them.

Isa awaited the orders, which were usually to eliminate any creatures from the upper floors of the castle. He was nervously clinging to Lea, hoping they'd be assigned to the same rooms they usually were. Today, however, the apprentices were arguing amongst themselves.

“No, we've lost too many. Enough is enough.”

“They're multiplying out of control down there. Somebody needs to check it out. Are you volunteering to go down there yourself, Even?” Braig gave Even a smug look.

“What!? Of course not, you fool! Why don't _you_ go?”

“As if. I'm not going down into that graveyard.”

“Then send one of them,” said a low voice, belonging to the white-haired man, Xehanort. This was Lea's first time seeing him. He gave off a terrifying aura of negativity, even more than the others.

“You sure, Xehanort?”

“Just one will suffice. As you are aware, we cannot afford to risk any more than we have to.”

“Gotcha.”

“Just make sure it's someone we probably won't need later on. Just in case.” After giving his orders, Xehanort left to go upstairs.

His icy words made Lea's heart race. _Someone they won't need? What is that supposed to mean?_

“Hmmm. Well, if that’s the case, I suppose this kid will do.” Braig was looking directly at Isa, who then gasped.

_He wants me to go with him? Oh, no. That means they don't need me, doesn't it?_

“What do you need _him_ for!?” Lea angrily interjected before Isa even had the chance to respond.

Braig was as carefree as ever. “Oh, we just need a little help, that's all. Need somebody to 'volunteer' and go check out what's been happening beneath the castle and report back.”

But Lea wasn't having it. He was sick of all these vague answers. “What do you mean!? What's down there!?”

“Wouldn't you like to know,” Braig teased. He knew it was the “graveyard”. The deepest part of the castle where the failed subjects whose hearts collapsed were originally kept. The place where all the Heartless originated from in the first place. Many living—and non-living—specimens were sent there. None ever returned. The Heartless from there were then brought to the lab to be studied. But there were still countless of them in the “graveyard”.

So far, the apprentices’ studies concluded that the Heartless were the embodiment of the darkness within people's hearts. They were all gathering there, in the “graveyard,” as if they sensed something. Xehanort was determined to get to the bottom of it. Sending someone to investigate the “graveyard” was, in its own way, an experiment. Would extended contact with the Heartless there affect the darkness in one's heart? Could that darkness be resisted? It was time to see.

Lea positioned himself in front of Isa. “Let me go instead!” His piercing green eyes made Braig visibly annoyed. “You'll just be wasting a subject if send him! You're already shorthanded as it is, right!? So, send me. I'll take care of whatever's down there!”

“Hmph. Fool,” Dilan grumbled under his breath. He seemed repulsed by Lea's selfless display.

“Wow, Red, you are _such_ a good friend, aren't you?” Braig's words were dripping with contempt. He stared directly at Lea, who was still glaring at him.

“Just send the boy. It doesn't matter which one goes. We don't have time for this,” Dilan complained impatiently.

“Fine. You can go in his place.”

“Fine by me.” Lea never took his eyes off of Braig.

“Lea...” Isa had no idea what to say. Everything was happening so fast.

“Well then, I'll send Aeleus to take you there. He'll be back for you soon, Red.” And with that, Braig began to walk away. Lea could hear his footsteps gradually fade away.

After the apprentices were gone, Isa spoke up in a tiny voice. “Lea...you can't go.” He sounded utterly despondent.

“It'll be all right, Isa.” He did his best to remain calm. It wouldn't do for him to lose his composure. Not now.

“They're going to take you away!” His voice was cracking up.

“If I don't go, then they would have just taken you instead,” he responded to Isa matter-of-factly.

“When that guy comes back, I'll ask him if I can go with—”

“No, Isa.” He remained firm, but calm. “It's too dangerous. I don't know what's down there. I'm not sure if I'd be able to protect you if you came with me. You stay here where it's safe, all right? I'm sure the others will look after you while I'm gone.”

“You can't just go alone, Lea!” Isa was insistent. “You heard what he said, right!? It’s a _graveyard_!”

Lea sighed, then put both hands on Isa's shoulders. He looked directly into his eyes as he calmly spoke. “Listen, I know you want to help. But you'd just be in the way if you came. If I go by myself, that will give us the greatest chance of both making it out of here alive. That's what you want, isn't it?”

Isa looked away. _He's right. There's probably nothing I could do to help Lea, even if I did go with him. But still..._ “I just don't want us to be separated. What if...I never see you again?” he finally responded in a small voice, his eyes fixated on the floor.

 _This isn't good. He actually looks like he's gonna cry. Everything must be getting to him._ Seeing his friend's pitiable expression, Lea took him by the hand. “You _will_. Listen, you're gonna be by yourself for a while. But you'll be fine. Just stick with the others.” He smiled sheepishly, desperately trying to think of some way to make the situation better.

Isa finally looked up at Lea. He tightly grasped Lea's hand in his own. “But...what about you...?” It was difficult for him to get the words out. _I'm not worried about being alone. I'm worried about_ _you_.

“Hey, have some faith in me. I'll be all right. I'm really tough. Got it memorized?” Lea smiled warmly as he used his favorite catchphrase.

“Yeah,” Isa replied meekly as he let go of his friend's hand. _I know Lea's not really that tough. He's just saying that so I won't worry. It's just an act._

Tension filled the air. When Aeleus returned, he motioned for Lea to come with him.

Lea gathered his strength and walked over to him. Before he exited the room, he turned around and saw Isa who was looking at him with the expression of an abandoned puppy. “I'll see you later, Isa.” That was all Lea said. He was smiling as he said it. He said it the same way he would at the end of a normal summer day, after they were done playing and it was time to go home.

“See you, Lea,” Isa said so quietly, it almost sounded like a whisper. He then watched the pair walk away. _This...might be the last time I ever see Lea_ , he thought to himself as he stood rooted to the spot. He could still feel the warmth of his best friend's hand. He felt tears welling up after Lea was finally out of his sight.

* * *

“Here. Put this on.” Aeleus handed Lea a black robe.

“Huh? What's this?”

“Just put it on. Hmph. We'll see if this actually works,” he muttered to himself.

Lea didn't understand what was going on, but he did as he was told and put on the black robe. Then he was guided to another staircase that led to the very deepest part of the castle. Even deeper than the lab. It didn't look modern, like the lab did. Its appearance was more aligned with the rest of the castle's classical design. Aeleus used a key and opened the door.

Then Lea was sent inside. He found himself in a dark cellar-like room. The atmosphere there was totally oppressive. The first thing he noticed, however, was the smell. It was repulsive. Like death itself.

There was a massive mob of Shadows assembled in this room. They were all gathered in a single spot in the back, towards brick wall. The peculiar part was that they showed no interest in attacking him.

This fact offered little comfort to Lea, however. His confident demeanor crumbled once he was all alone. He was utterly exhausted and sat on the floor in the corner of the room, with his back against the wall.

_Now what? What am I even supposed to be looking for?_

He exhaled deeply.

_I wonder if Isa will be okay on his own. Though I could say the same thing about myself. I've been trying so hard to take care of somebody else, but the truth is, I can't even take care of myself._

He looked over at the mob of Shadows.

_I wonder what happens to the people who lose their hearts, anyways? Where does a heart go...when it's released from the body? I'm sure it goes...somewhere, right? Is it like...dying?_

He closed his eyes.

_I wonder...what's gonna happen to me now? I've been trying so hard not to think about it. But maybe I'm just running away from the inevitable. Will I ever go home? Will I ever get to go back to school? I really don't know anymore._

He began to rock back and forth.

_I hate being alone like this. It makes me think too much. That's why I can never sleep..._

While Lea was lost in thought, a large Heartless appeared right in front of him out of the floor. It was vaguely humanoid and it had a large heart-shaped hole in its chest.

“Ahhh!” Lea screamed at the top of his lungs. _What the hell is that!?_

It punched its large fist into the floor, creating a puddle of darkness, which summoned several Shadows.

_This is probably it for me._

Lea's mind had all but surrendered, but his body kept on fighting. Thankfully, he was far faster than the giant Heartless and managed to avoid its devastating physical blows. The giant Heartless punched the floor again and the impact knocked Lea over, onto his backside. He shielded his face with his arms as he was slowly swallowed up by the puddle of darkness.

* * *

Lightning headed to the Library. She wasn't ordered to go there, and knew she could get punished for leaving her designated area. But she didn't care.

“What are you doing? You're supposed to be taking out those creatures. If you don't, you'll get in trouble,” she softly chided Isa, who was sitting in a slump on the floor underneath the staircase.

“What does it matter? It's not like we have any way to get out of here.” Isa sounded completely hopeless.

“If you allow yourself to think like that, the darkness will get to you. Now come on.” She put her hand on his shoulder.

Isa didn't respond.

“Your friend went off on his own to protect you. I'm sure he wouldn't want you to just give up like this.”

Isa said nothing. All he did was bury his head in his lap. _Lea...it's all my fault. He's in danger because of me. And now I'll probably never see him again._

Lightning sighed, then proceeded to defeat one of the Dusks next to a nearby bookshelf. She fought with a decorative sword she took from one of the suits of armor. However, she wielded it with perfect skill, unlike Isa. _Now what? Am I going to babysit this kid? Why? What am I doing?_ She argued with herself, but her body seemed to act on its own.

Without much effort, she finished taking out the rest of the creatures from the room. “Well, that takes care of them here. Come on. Stick with me for now.” She motioned for Isa to follow her.

“Why are you doing this for me? Before, you said everyone needed to look out for themselves. If I come with you, I'm sure I'll just slow you down,” he said in a pitiful voice. “It'd be better for you if you just left me behind.”

She sighed again. “Listen. I'm...sorry about what I said before. I didn't really mean it. This whole situation is just getting to me, I guess.”

She reached her hand out to Isa. He slowly grabbed it, and she helped him to his feet.

“What's your name, kid?”

“It's Isa. You're Lightning, right?” he asked without looking her in the eye.

“You can call me Light.” She hesitated for a moment. “Isa, have you run into a girl while you've been here?”

Isa thought back to when he was first captured. _Oh, yeah._ “Um, yeah. There was a little girl being kept here. I don't know what happened to her, though.” _I wonder if she’s okay..._

“A little kid? I see. Then it wasn't her.”

“Are you looking for someone?”

“Yeah. That's why I came here.”

“You came here? So, you didn't get kidnapped?”

Lightning turned her back to Isa. She felt self-conscious about such an emotional topic and didn't want him to see her face. “I’m a security guard. I've been trying to find my sister. She was with Snow and his friends. I asked around town and heard the rumors about people being brought to the castle. I figured my only chance to save her was to let myself get caught. So, I attacked one of the guards. And...here I am.”

Isa turned his head away from Lightning in shame. “You must be very strong.” _Lea is just like her. He's so strong. But look at me...I'm useless...I can’t even help him..._

He thought back to the little girl they met when they first entered the castle. He and Lea wanted to help her with all their hearts. But if they knew what was in store for them, would they still have had the courage to make that choice? Even if it meant fighting for their survival like this? Isa thought that Lea would, without a second thought. He was so brave. But he doubted _he_ was that strong.

“Well, it's not a matter of strength. There are some things in life you just do.” Lighting was looking at the chandelier on the ceiling. “If you have something you want to protect, you fight.”

“What if you're not strong enough?” 

“Well, that's when you _become_ strong enough.” Lightning turned back around only to notice the boy's discouraged expression. “Sometimes, the hardest part about surviving isn't fighting, but finding a _reason_ to fight.”

“Is that really all you need?” he murmured to himself. _A reason to fight. So, I can fight, too? What's my reason?_

“Yeah. If you have that, then you'll find your strength.” Lightning felt a bit awkward. She didn’t know if her pep talk made any sense or not. She just said the types of things she told herself when she was going through a hard time.

 _This whole time, Lea has been fighting so hard for my sake. He put himself at risk just to keep me safe. I can't give up. I want to become strong, so I can keep him safe, too._ Isa finally met Lightning's gaze. “Thank you, Light. For what you said.”

“You gonna be all right now?” This was the first time Isa saw her smile.

“Yeah. Thanks to you.”

Lightning placed a hand on his head, like an older sister showing affection to a younger brother. Then she reached into her pocket and gently placed handed something in Isa's hand. “Here.”

“Huh? What's this?”

“To keep you safe.” It was a large knife with a retractable blade. “You go ahead and hold onto that for now. But I'll need you to survive long enough to give it back to me. All right?”

Isa looked up at his new friend with a warm smile on his face. “Yeah. I will.” _Lea. Wherever you are, I just want you to know...when you come back, I'll be the one to protect you._ Isa closed his eyes tightly. _You’re still here with me, even though we’re apart. I’m not afraid anymore._

* * *

_I'm falling...falling...into the darkness..._

_Is this...a dream?_

Lea felt like he had just woken up from a dream. Or maybe he was still asleep. He wasn't quite sure. All he knew was that he was surrounded by total darkness. It felt like he was just floating there in the darkness. Only the tiniest pinpoint of light could be seen far off in the distance. Without even intending to, he slowly got closer and closer to that light until it totally engulfed him. In that light, he thought he heard a voice calling his name.

Then he slowly opened his eyes and regained consciousness.

“...Isa...?”

_What? Where...am I?_

The next thing Lea knew, he was lying on the cold hard floor with a pretty bad headache. He slowly positioned himself upright and looked around the room. He saw that he was still in the basement cellar.

_Oh yeah. I was sent down here. That Heartless attacked me, though, didn't it? How did I...? Was it this black robe?_

Everything in the room looked exactly the same as before he got sucked into the blackness. Everything except for the fact that all the Heartless were gone and there was now a large door where they once were gathered.

_What...is that? A...door? This definitely wasn’t here before._

The door had a large Keyhole in the center. Lea walked up to the door and examined it, but it was locked.

_This must be what the Heartless were drawn to. But what is it? For some reason, I don't think it leads outside. But still...that must be what they've been looking for. They're all gone now. Did they go inside of this door?_

Then the door suddenly disappeared. Lea had no answers for all the questions that began floating into his mind. But he did have something to report back to the apprentices now. He accomplished his mission. Perhaps he still had time, after all.

“Ow...my butt hurts...” he complained as he rubbed his sore backside.

That night, Xehanort retrieved a Heartless from the lab, then wrote a passage in one of his reports:

 _“To study the Heartless behavior, I picked one out for observation._ _It wiggled its antennae and, as if sensing a target, headed deep into the castle. In the deepest part of the castle, its antennae began vibrating, as if searching for something. Suddenly, a strange door appeared. I'd never known of its existence.”_


	7. The Icing on the Cake

Kairi defeated a group of phantom Heartless in one clean sweep of her Keyblade. She was bent over panting when she heard the sound of clapping coming from behind her. What she saw when she turned around was Lea giving her a round of applause.

“All right, Kairi! Fight, fight, fight!”

She struck a pose, flicked her hair, and laughed softly.

“You know, you're doing really well.”

“Thanks. I've been trying my best. It _is_ pretty exhausting, though.”

Lea put his hand on his chin. “Hmm. You know what? Since you've been working so hard, you deserve a little something extra.”

“Something extra?”

“Yeah. Wait here. I'll be right back!”

“Oh. Okay...”

A few minutes later, Lea returned with two bars of sea-salt ice cream in hand. “Ta-da! The icing on the cake.”

“Really, Lea? Ice cream?” She laughed. “Wasn't expecting that.”

Lea handed one of the ice cream bars to Kairi. “Yeah! I asked Merlin to get us some.”

Kairi bit into the bar. “Hm. It's salty...but sweet.” _Strange. It almost feels like I've had it before._

“Never had it before, huh? It's good, isn't it? When I was a kid, I'd always eat this ice cream.” Lea stared at the ice cream bar in his hand with a wistful look on his face.

“Sora told me that Scrooge is the one who invented it. He traveled the worlds with King Mickey to set up a business empire and introduced this ice cream to a lot of other worlds, too.”

“Oh...So that must be why they sell it in Twilight Town, too. Huh. I always wondered about that.”

“Thanks for the ice cream. You're really sweet, Lea.” She gave him a sweet smile.

Lea didn't say anything. Instead, he just finished his ice cream bar. He looked down at the empty stick. Nothing. Then he gazed out over the horizon, painted red with the warm light of the setting sun. The sunset cast long shadows over the landscape.

* * *

Lea finally was allowed to go back to the underground lab.

“Y-you're okay!” Isa darted over to Lea as soon as he entered the room.

In an attempt to console his distraught friend, Lea put his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest. “'Course I am. I told you not to worry, didn't I? I'm tough.” He said it with an exaggerated tone of voice and had a large grin on his face, too.

Just seeing that stupid grin put Isa at ease. The choking sensation in his throat vanished. Unexpectedly, Isa threw his arms around Lea's back in a tight embrace. “I was so worried. I thought I'd never see you again.” _I'm so glad Lea's okay. As long as I have him...I can keep going._

“Isa...” With his body pressed against him, Lea could feel Isa's heart racing. His shoulders were slightly trembling, too.

Isa was a very sensitive boy, but wasn't exactly the type of person who wore his heart on his sleeve. Ever since Lea met him, he was always quiet and shy. He hid his feelings behind a layer of sarcasm. He had an air of maturity to him that set him apart from all the other boys Lea knew. Probably because of that, he didn't have many friends. Indeed, it wouldn't be inaccurate to say that Lea was the only person Isa was close to. Isa could be clingy at times, but it was definitely unusual for him to get so emotional. Lea had never seen him this side of him before. On top of that, Lea wasn't used to such a close level of physical contact with somebody. He wasn't quite sure how to react.

He awkwardly fidgeted for a second before he slowly placed his hands on Isa's back. “Sorry for worrying you.” He closed his eyes and held Isa closely. 

“Thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here. Thank you so much, Lea. There's no way I would have survived on my own.”

 _Funny. I...feel so happy right now._ As exhausted as Lea was, he couldn't remember the last time he felt so happy. Actually, it felt strange to feel _this_ happy, given their dire circumstances. His heart raced and his face felt hot. As he held Isa, he looked to the side in embarrassment, but was beaming with delight. “That was _nothing_.” 

_I feel so safe with Lea._ Isa closed his eyes and held Lea tightly. _I just want to keep him safe, too._

From a safe distance, Lightning stood with her arms folded and watched the two friends with a smile on her face.

* * *

The next evening, things were back to normal. Everyone was assigned their missions, as usual.

Lea yawned and stretched. “Ready for another fun day?”

 _He doesn’t look so good today._ “I guess so,” Isa replied quietly.

“All right then, let's get this show on the road.”

“Um, Lea...I...” Isa began mumbling.

Lea didn’t seem to hear him, though. “You just stay behind me, got it?”

“Uh, yeah. Sure...”

As usual, Lea did all the fighting for the both of them. It was nothing too difficult for him, though at the end of the night, he was always very exhausted.

After Lea defeated all the creatures in the Entrance Hall, he immediately collapsed onto the floor. “Ugh. I'm beat.”

“Are you all right?” Isa asked with a worried expression.

“Yeah. I'll be...fine. Just need a...five minute...breather.” He was panting. After a short break, he got back up on his feet. “'Kay. Ready to take care of your mission now?”

Isa didn't respond. He was staring off into space.

“Hey! Snap out of it.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“What's gotten into you? Better pay attention, or you could get hurt,” he chided.

“Sorry...” Isa sounded a bit depressed.

“Listen, I'll take care of you, if that's what you're worried about.”

Isa looked at Lea and noticed the dark circles under his eyes. His only response was to sigh heavily and walk away towards the Library.

 _Was it something I said?_ After that awkward exchange _,_ Lea took on the enemies in the Library, though he was distracted the entire time. Afterwards he approached Isa, who was waiting by the table and chair near the staircase. “Uh, hey? Everything okay?”

“Look. I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me.” Isa sounded irritated. He didn't look at Lea when he answered.

 _Is he...mad at me? Did I do something wrong? I have no idea what his problem is._ “Er, okay. If you say so...”

* * *

Over the next few days, Isa acted the same way—glum and distant. Finally, Lea approached him. He wanted to know why Isa was avoiding him. It was true that he could be moody at times, if Lea said something stupid and pushed the wrong button. But this wasn't like him at all. Lea could always get him to open up without too much effort.

“Hey. Isa...”

But he still staring into space, not listening. 

Lea put a hand on his shoulder. “Come on. If something's bothering you, don't hide it from me. You know you can always talk to me.”

Isa looked up at Lea's face. He could tell that Lea was being completely genuine. “Um, well...actually, there is something...I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Huh? What is it?” _This is weird. He seems kinda nervous._

“Well...I've decided. I want to fight.”

“What!?” Lea wasn't quite sure if he heard that right.

“I want to help you fight, not just sit on the sidelines while you're in danger.” His tone of voice indicated that he was serious about this.

Lea nervously rubbed his neck and exhaled deeply. “I don't think that's such a good idea, man.” His voice was full of concern. 

_I knew he wouldn't listen to me_.

“This isn't a game, you know? You could get seriously hurt…or worse.”

“So could you,” Isa retorted.

“Well, yeah, I guess. But—”

“Look. I just want to help you, Lea. I promise I won't get in your way.”

Lea sighed. _I don't know. Should I let him fight, too? No, it's too dangerous. I can't risk it._ “Listen, I know you just wanna help, and I appreciate it. But I still think it's too dangerous. If you fought those things, I'd be too worried about you.”

“Well, how do you think I feel?” Isa stared at the floor as he went on. “You think I don't worry about you? It feels like that's all I ever do.”

Lea didn't know how to respond to that.

“I can't just let you do everything for me. It's too much for one person. I just want to help you in any way that I can. I can't...bear the thought of something happening to you, especially because of me. I'm...tired of being useless.”

“Isa...” _So that's what was bothering him..._

“I want to keep you safe, too, Lea. Please. Let me fight alongside you.” Isa looked up at Lea finally. He had the pleading expression of a child.

_I guess I never thought about it from his perspective before. It must feel awful to feel like there's nothing you can do to help, worrying nonstop. I'm sure yesterday really scared him. As long as I'm there with him, I guess I can make sure nothing happens. If it makes him feel better, maybe I should respect his wishes._

“Okay, you win. I guess I can give you a few pointers. But only if you take it easy. Stay back and don't push yourself too hard. Leave the heavy lifting to me. Got it memorized?”

“Yeah!” Isa nodded enthusiastically. “Don't worry, Lea. I promise I won't slow you down.”

Lea still wasn't sure if this was a good idea. But maybe it was just his overprotectiveness making him paranoid. It might be helpful if Isa got some experience defending himself. Maybe it would be better for him in the long run.

* * *

Lea and Isa spent the rest of the week doing ordinary, monotonous missions taking out Dusks—which is what the apprentices called the strange white creatures. The Heartless seemed far fewer in number than before. Lea taught Isa the basics of fighting, though he still wouldn't let him fight the Dusks on his own.

“So, you getting the hang of things yet?”

“Yeah. It's not...that...hard," Isa replied while panting.

“Well, don't worry. There's not too many left. I'll take care of 'em.”

Several Dusks were jumping around erratically.

“All right, Isa, get back.” Isa backed away from Lea creating distance between himself and the Dusks.

Three of them popped up right in front of Lea and began to circle around him.

“Lea! Watch out!”

“I'm fine! Just go wait in the Library!”

“But what about—”

“Just go! Now!”

Isa turned towards the Library but he couldn't bring himself to run.

The Dusks struck Lea hard and sent him crashing into the wall. “Ow...” _Damn. That actually kinda hurt..._ “Frickin' Dusks...”

They weren't actually a threat to Lea. But he wasn't exactly in top form today due to his fatigue, and they began to gang up on him.

 _I can't leave him there. He needs help_. Isa ran back towards Lea.

He grasped his knife tightly and swung as hard as he could over and over. The Dusks weren't easy to hit, wiggling and dancing around, but Isa stayed focused on their movements, memorizing their patterns. He fought quickly and furiously as everything else around him faded from view. Lightning's pocket knife afforded him a lot more agility than the large decorative sword he wielded before. All the adrenaline that made him so nervous was channeled into strength. He felt a newfound sense of power surge through him as he fought to help his best friend. The battle seemed to go on forever, but in reality, it probably lasted about thirty seconds.

Finally, Isa was able to subdue all the Dusks. One final strike sent the last one disappearing. _Yes! I did it!_ He could hardly breathe and was sweating profusely. He was still panting as he heard the sound of clapping coming from behind him. He turned around.

“All right, Isa! Fight, fight, fight!”

Isa smiled timidly at Lea's praise.

“You've gotten pretty good at this, haven't you? I'm impressed. I didn't think you could fight like that.”

“When I saw you getting attacked, something just came over me.”

Hearing that put a smile on Lea's face. “Is that so?”

“I never would have expected it, but fighting isn't so bad. It can actually be pretty fun.”

“Well, now. Look at you, getting all cocky,” Lea teased.

Once they finished their task for the day, they were taken back to the room in the castle's basement laboratory. They had a few hours to themselves before sunrise, when they would be taken back to their individual cells.

* * *

Lea yawned as he plopped himself down on the floor to relax. “I'm really proud of all your hard work. You saved my butt today. You deserve a reward when we get back home. What would you like?”

“What? You don't owe me anything, Lea.” _If anything, I'm the one who owes you._

“Aww, it's no big deal. Gotta have something to look forward to, right?”

Isa sat down on the floor next to Lea. “Well, I really wish I had some ice cream right now. So, once we get back, I guess you can take me out for ice cream.” He looked at Lea grinning.

“Really? Of all things, _that's_ what you'd want?”

Isa nodded.

Lea could't help but chuckle a bit. “Man, you sure do have one heck of a a sweet tooth, don't you? I swear. How can anyone eat so much ice cream?”

Lea liked ice cream as much as the next kid, but Isa took it to another level. Ever since Scrooge opened up the little shop in the Marketplace, he would want to go there with Lea every day.

“I mean, you only agreed to help me start the summer homework...if I bought you one.”

“Well, that's because you were probably gonna make _me_ do most of the work, Lea.”

At that, they both started laughing. After their missions, everyone always kept the conversation to lighthearted topics. It was all they could do to cope with the fear and dread of their imprisonment.

“It's not just the ice cream, you know.” Isa didn't look at Lea as he softly spoke.

“Hm?”

“I mean...I just like hanging out with you. It doesn't really matter what we're doing.” He was still looking away from Lea. “The ice cream is just...the icing on the cake.” _When we eat ice cream, we get to talk and laugh about stupid stuff...just like this. That's why I like it._

Lea suddenly felt flustered. He was taken aback by Isa's uncharacteristic candidness, and was at a loss for words. “Man, who are you and what have you done with Isa?” he joked.

Normally Isa would have been too embarrassed to say such a thing out loud. He always bonded with Lea by teasing him. But considering the circumstances, he wasn't sure if he'd ever get another chance to tell him how he really felt.

“What about you, Lea? What do you want?”

“Huh? Me?”

“Yeah. If you could have anything.”

“Ah, that's easy. A day off. A whole day where I don't have to get out of bed. I can just relax and sleep all day.” Lea leaned back and placed his hands behind his head.

 _Lea must be really tired..._ Isa knew Lea always hated sleeping in on his vacation. He thought it was a waste of time when they could be doing something more exciting. To hear that Lea wanted nothing more than to sleep was worrying.

“ _I'm_ gonna head straight to the beach with Serah. That's where I proposed to her. Right there, underneath the sunset,” Snow said nostalgically.

“The beach? That doesn't sound too bad. I wouldn't mind going.” Lightning was looking over at Snow. He met her gaze with a warm smile.

“Man, I can't wait to get out of here, either. First thing I wanna do is have a few drinks,” Sazh said wearily.

“Ah, me too!” Lea said in a cheeky voice.

“Yeah. Ah—Hey! You're a bit too young for that.”

The baby bird jumped out of Sazh's hair and landed on Isa's shoulder. He pet it gently.

Then it flew around again and landed in Lea's red hair.

“Hey, bad bird! Don't sit on my head!” The tiny bird then jumped and landed in his hand. Lea smiled at it. He always smiled. He learned to keep smiling, no matter how exhausted or worried he was. It was the only way he knew how to cope. _That's right. Just focus on the future. One day, we'll get out of here. Everything...will work out._

* * *

For several weeks, things progressed without incident. One day, Lea and Isa were assigned to eliminate Dusks on the outskirts of the castle, outside the Entrance Hall, near the Lift Stop. This time, they were sent in the early hours of the morning, so it wasn't dark outside. It was their first time being outside the castle since they were caught. They were at a pretty high altitude, so there was quite a bit of fog around.

“New area today, huh? Must be because we got rid of 'em all in the other rooms.” Lea was kind of happy to be sent somewhere new for a change. “Gotta say, the view from up here isn't so bad.” He marveled at the scenery.

“There's barely any left, huh?”

Unlike the Heartless, the Dusks didn't multiply. And most of the Heartless, at this point, were gone as well.

“Well, I'm not complaining. Though, I do wonder what they're planning on doing with us now. I mean, I doubt they're just gonna have us play castle janitor forever. Heh. Maybe they'll let us go,” Lea said, half-jokingly.

“Yeah...” Isa said nervously.

Lea noticed Isa's gloomy expression. “Well, whatever. No use worrying about that right now. Let's just get this over with.”

After taking out a few enemies, Lea noticed a door he had never been inside. _Wonder where this goes._ He opened it and noticed that it led to a guest bedroom. It was a rather small room with a green floor and walls. There was a bookshelf in this room, along with a small wooden table and chair for reading. In the future, Riku would stay in this room while he was working with Maleficent.

“Aw, yeah! That's what I'm talkin' about!” Lea jumped on the bed and started playfully rolling around. “Look, Isa! A _real_ bed! Man, what I wouldn't give to just take a nap here.”

Lea was just goofing around, but Isa took what he said very seriously. “Then, why don't you go ahead and rest up here for a while, Lea? I'll take care of things out there.”

“What!? No way! I was just kidding!”

“I know how exhausted you are, Lea. You've barely been sleeping. On top of that, you've been doing most of the fighting this whole time.”

Lea couldn't deny it. He was getting burned out. There was no way Isa hadn't noticed the dark circles under his eyes. “Don't be ridiculous. I could never sleep if I knew you were out there fighting by yourself. I'd be way too worried.”

“But if you keep going on like you are, you won't be able to fight well, anyways. Please, Lea. Just for today, take a break and relax. I promise you that I'll take care of the enemies. They're not that tough. I can handle it.”

Lea got up off the bed. “Look, I appreciate what you're saying. Really. But I can't risk it. I don't want anything to happen to you.”

“The reason you're so tired. It's because you're always taking care of me.”

“No, that's not it. I mean...”

“You know, the reason I've been working so hard is so I could help you. You always look like you could collapse any minute. You've done so much for me. I just want the chance to make it up to you somehow.”

“Isa. How many times do I have to tell you? We're friends. Friends look out for each other.”

“Then let _me_ look out for _you_.” Isa put his hands on his hips. His facial expression turned harsh. “Look. You're not taking proper care of yourself, Lea. You're not sleeping enough and you're pushing yourself way too hard. I can't stand by and let you compromise your health like this.”

Lea looked at Isa like a child being scolded by their mother.

“For once, just go along with what I say,” Isa said, exasperated. “I'll feel a lot better if I know you've gotten some rest.”

Lea sighed. _Now I feel kinda guilty. Maybe he feels like I never listen to him. I guess he's not wrong. If I listened to him before, we never would have ended up here in the first place. It's my fault we wound up in this situation._

“Well?”

Lea smiled, rubbing the hair on the back of his head. “Man, you sure are a stubborn one, aren't you? All right. If that's what you really want, I guess I can take a short nap.”

Isa nodded. “Good.”

“Just don't go anywhere. And make sure you come and get me if anything happens. I don't care if you wake me up. Just, please. Don't do anything stupid, okay?”

“I won't. I promise. I'm not reckless like you are.”

“Well. Just...be careful. You hear?”

“I _know_! Now quit worrying and go take a nap already!”

“Okay...” Lea watched as Isa left the room. He seemed to be in good spirits.

Afterwards, Isa was back outside. He was nervous, but was determined to not let that stop him.

_Can I really do this without Lea?_

He looked down at his hand, which was shaking.

_No. I have to. I want to protect him. That’s...my reason for fighting. As long as I have a purpose, I can fight. I can keep going._

He closed his eyes and imagined Lea beside him, cheering him on.

**_“All right, Isa! Fight, fight, fight!”_ **

_Lea. You probably didn’t realize it, but those words of praise...meant a lot to me._

He opened his eyes and saw a group of enemies in the distance.

_I can do it. I can do it. He’s still here with me. He’s always here with me. Even when we’re apart. As long as I can feel him beside me, I’m not afraid. I can fight. I can handle anything._

* * *

Lea was more tired than he realized. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep after he decided to lie down on the bed. By the time he woke up, he had no idea how much time had passed. 10 minutes? An hour? He looked up at the clock on the wall. He had only been asleep for about half an hour. He sighed in relief. He hadn't been asleep _that_ long. Still, he couldn't help but worry.

“Well, I'm sure he won't mind if I just go and check up on him.”

Lea quickly got up and left the bedroom and went back to the Lift Stop. Everything was eerily quiet. In the corner of his eye, he saw Isa lying face down on the ground, motionless. Two Dusks were darting around nearby.

“Isa!” Lea sprinted to his friend as fast as he could, ignoring the Dusks. “Are you okay!?” He positioned his friend face up, and took him in his arms. “Hey!” _I knew he wasn't ready to fight on his own. This is all my fault. What was I thinking? Why am I so stupid!?_

As Lea was berating himself, Isa stirred in his arms and opened his eyes. “What...happened?” He had a bit of a headache, but other than that, he was unharmed.

“It looks like you exhausted yourself and blacked out. Man, don't scare me like that! Do you have any idea how worried I was!? Geez, talk about irresponsible! You need to take your own advice and not push yourself too hard! No more fighting on your own! Okay!?” Lea was almost shouting at this point.

“I'm sorry, Lea. I just wanted to help you, but all I did was become even more of a burden. I really am completely useless.”

“I didn't say that. You're not useless.” He helped Isa get back on his feet. “But you don't have to do anything crazy to show your appreciation to me. It doesn't do me any good if you're _dead._ ”

Lea was trying to lighten the mood, but Isa still looked depressed.

“Look, when we go home, we'll have plenty of time to spend relaxing and doing nothing. We can sit around, be lazy, and eat ice cream as much as you want. Got it memorized?”

At that, Isa looked Lea in the eyes. His demeanor softened and he smiled serenely. “All right.”

Just then, they heard a voice from behind them. It was the white-haired apprentice, Xehanort, accompanied by Dilan and Aeleus. “Your orders were to eliminate all the Dusks.”

“We were just about to. He just...needed a little help, that's all.” Lea nervously responded.

“I'm sorry. It won't happen again,” Isa lowered his head and apologized in a small voice.

Xehanort looked right at Isa. He had a nasty look in his eye. “I see that you failed to carry out direct orders. Failing is considered the same as disobeying. You understand that, don’t you?”

Isa said nothing. He just looked up in horror.

“What!? That's crazy! He didn't disobey! He—” Lea insisted.

“Silence!” Xehanort snarled. Then he looked at Isa again. “You've been given more than enough chances. But I see that you are of no use to us. Anyone who is not contributing to our cause might as well be terminated immediately.”

Xehanort looked over to Aeleus, who then seized Isa by the arm.

“NO! Stop! Let him go!” Lea cried.

“Take that one back to his cell.” And with those orders, Dilan grabbed Lea by the collar.

“Get off me! No! Leave him alone!” Lea resisted, but was overpowered and taken back to his cell.


	8. Full Moon

Tonight was no different from any other night, really. Lea couldn't sleep and decided to take a walk through the woods to clear his mind.

An enormous full moon hung in the sky of the secret forest. As Lea looked up at it, the sight unsettled him a bit. It reminded him of the heart-shaped moon back in The World That Never Was.

Ever since he first laid eyes on it, he hated that moon. It was always there, lingering just outside his bedroom window. Although the unnatural light in that city bothered him, the light of the moon—the artificial Kingdom Hearts—was even worse. Unlike the soft and gentle light of the sunset in Twilight Town, the light of the moon was creepy and unpleasant.

He never knew why he hated that moon so much. Kingdom Hearts was supposed to be salvation for all Nobodies. When it was complete, it would grant them all hearts of their own and they would finally be complete once again. At least, that's what he always hoped would happen.

He didn't know that Xemnas had been planning to use Kingdom Hearts to enslave all the organization's members—turn them all into empty puppets, each filled with the exact same heart and mind, so they could do his bidding. To Xemnas, all the organization’s original members were pawns, working towards their own enslavement.

Lea remembered what Xemnas said during his speech under the full moon:

**_“My friends! Let us gain further power, to conquer the human heart, and claim it as our own. Let us remember why we are here and what we hope to achieve. Hearts shall be gathered, and be made our own. Hearts shall never again have power over us.”_ **

_Conquer the human heart and make it our own? Hearts having power over us? It bothered me. I never knew what he meant by that. Now, I finally understand. He didn’t want us to gain power. He wanted to gain power over_ us _. Over our hearts._

_If Sora hadn't intervened, and Kingdom Hearts had actually been completed, I’m sure that’s exactly what would have happened. I would have been turned into a vessel. Another Xehanort. Just like...Isa has already been all along._

_Isa. His heart. It’s been conquered. Xemnas has claimed it as his own._

Lea suddenly felt incredibly angry. It was just like before he lost his heart. Now that he had a heart, he just had to get used to these types of feelings. Anger, sadness, fear. And guilt, too. All of these emotions were much stronger now, compared to when he was a Nobody.

For some reason, Kairi's words from the other day echoed in his mind:

_**“You're really sweet, Lea.”** _

“No, I'm really not. I’m...pretty screwed up...” he absently muttered to himself as he looked upon the large yellow full moon.

* * *

Ansem the Wise was enjoying a midnight snack. He walked to the small freezer that he kept in his room and grabbed a bar of sea-salt ice cream. He munched on it as he gazed out his bedroom window, located at the very top of the enormous castle. He was completely oblivious to everything going on beneath the castle.

The large yellow moon—almost full—cast its pallid light inside his bedroom. He had been awake all night, unable to ease his mind. He sighed as he pressed his hand against his forehead.

“Ah, what to do...”

Ever since he ended the experiments on Xehanort, he began to feel uneasy around his young apprentice. Why _had_ he ended the experiments so abruptly, anyways? He wasn't even sure himself.

He thought back to the day he performed the first experiment. Xehanort slept inside of a pod in that white marble room. The strange armor and Keyblade were close by. Surely, they were clues to his mysterious past. Then, Ansem probed the depths of his apprentice’s heart.

As soon as he did, all Ansem knew was that he felt a terrifying sense of dread. This fear was so overwhelming, he immediately called off all subsequent experiments and forbade his apprentices from pursuing their research any further. It may have been an impulsive decision, but he couldn't be swayed.

Afterwards, he was unable to look at Xehanort the same way. He felt guilty about this, as he had promised the young man that he would do whatever he could to restore his lost past. But something was stopping him. It was hard for Ansem to admit to himself, but he was afraid of Xehanort.

 _What secrets are lying buried in his memories?_ The thoughts consumed him, and made it impossible for him to fall asleep.

Furthermore, Ansem couldn't shake the feeling that his apprentices were acting strangely lately. Ever since he called off his experiments on the heart, something about their behavior just didn't sit right with him. He had a feeling they were hiding something, but he couldn't put his finger on what it could be.

And there was something even more troubling. The little girl he had been studying recently, Kairi, had gone missing. Ansem had been inviting the girl and her grandmother to the castle, just to talk. Kairi seemed special. Did she really have no darkness within her heart? Ansem was very curious about her. It was Even who first brought the girl to his attention. Could her disappearance have something to do with his apprentices? As much as he desperately wished to, he couldn't outright dismiss the possibility.

As he absently peered outside his window, he noticed fragments of light falling from the sky.

“A meteor shower?”

* * *

The next night, a large yellow full moon could be seen outside the window of Xehanort's room as he wrote the contents of his eighth report:

_“There is no doubt that the Heartless are deeply connected to the people's hearts. Further study may unravel both their motivations and the mysteries shrouding the heart._

_My original pilot studies utilized three methods:_

_-Extracting the darkness from a person's heart._

_-Cultivating darkness in a pure heart._

_-Both suppressing and amplifying the darkness within._

_The experiments caused the test subject's heart to collapse, including those of the most stalwart. How fragile our hearts are! My treatment produced no signs of recovery.  
_

_I shall commence another experiment, using a new group of test subjects. As a start, I have built a device that artificially creates Heartless. By recreating the conditions that spawn the Heartless naturally, I should be able to produce them artificially. This device is the culmination of all my research thus far.”_

* * *

Lea barely slept at all. All he could think about was what happened to Isa. Was he going to get punished? The thoughts consumed him, leaving him awake all night. _Why? Why did I let him fight all by himself. This is all my fault._

As usual, Braig arrived at his cell in the middle of the night.

“Where's my friend!? What did you guys do to him!?”

Braig just smirked. “Heh. If I were you, I'd be more worried about myself.”

 _Huh?_ _What's he talking about?_ Something about Braig's demeanor seemed off tonight. Lea couldn't help but think that the smile he wore tonight was even creepier than usual.

Also unusual was the fact that Lea was taken upstairs to the computer lab. This had never happened before, and it made him nervous.

“Wait right there.” Braig stepped in front of the large computer monitor and typed something onto the keyboard.

Standing behind him, Lea tried to see what he was typing, but all he saw were the words on the screen: “D.T.D. Hollow Bastion O.S.” _Hollow Bastion? What the heck is that?_

In a few seconds, the machine behind them activated. Lea had no idea what that large device was for. He turned back around and stared at the large room with dozens and dozens of containers on the wall, each filled with a single heart. After today, this room would come to be known as the Heartless Manufactory. It could be seen behind the glass where the computer monitor was.

“You. In there.” Braig pointed to a metal door in the computer lab, across from Ansem's Study.

“Tch. Whatever.”

The door actually led directly inside the Heartless Manufactory. The spiral staircase leading to the underground lab was sealed at the moment. Inside the Heartless Manufactory, Lea happened upon someone unexpected. It was a little red-haired girl in a purple and white dress. She stared at Lea as he walked towards her. She seemed wary of him.

“Huh? A little girl?” _When did she get here?_

“Oh!” The child seemed to recognize Lea's voice. She ran up to him and threw her arms around him tightly.

“Whoa!” She ran into him with such force she almost knocked him over.

“You really did come back for me!” Her tiny hands clung tightly to the black robe Lea was still wearing. She gazed up at him, smiling.

“Hey! It's you!” _It's that girl from before!_ The small girl was a sight for sore eyes. Lea was really worried about her after they last met. He figured that she had probably lost her heart by now, and tried not to think about it. He put his hand on her head and smiled.

“Yay! You remember me! I'm so happy!”

“Yeah. 'Course I remember you. I promised, didn't I?”

She hugged him tightly. “Where's your friend?”

“Not...exactly sure.” Lea smiled at the girl, trying to hide his uneasiness with the situation. _Why did they bring us here?_

Moments later, Xehanort, Even, and Aeleus all arrived in the lab and stood before the computer monitor. The platform where Lea and the little girl stood ascended until they were directly behind the glass window near the computer. There, the apprentices could see them.

Then Xehanort spoke. His low, booming voice penetrated the thick glass. “My friends, today is a momentous day.”

Lea got a chill up his spine when he heard Xehanort speak.

“At long last, it is time for our seeds to finally bear fruit. Today, we shall take the first step forward toward unlocking the mysteries of the heart and the secrets of the worlds.”

His slow way of speaking put Lea even more on edge. _What the hell is he talking about?_

The little girl stood behind Lea, clinging to him.

“Now. As for your participation.” Lea could tell that Xehanort was looking directly at him. “You are to destroy that girl."

 _What!? Destroy her!?_ “Are you insane!? Why would you want—”

Xehanort didn't even let him respond. “Do it. Now.”

“No!” _To hell with these guys. There's no way I'd ever do anything like that!_

“As I suspected. I see that you require additional persuasion.”

After a few seconds, Dilan arrived in the lab with Isa, who he was dragging by the arm.

“Lea!” Isa shouted as soon as he made eye contact with his friend.

“Isa!” Lea instinctively reached his arm out, though they were separated by the wall of glass.

“Do it. Unless you want to watch as your friend loses his heart.”

Dilan shoved Isa onto the floor behind the computer monitor. He was standing directly on the spot that would transport the user inside the Datascape. Dilan held his lance out and pointed it at Isa, preventing him from leaving the spot. Aeleus stood silently at the other side, holding his axe sword.

Then, Xehanort held his hand above the keyboard and explained the situation to Lea. “If I push this button, your friend will be transported inside the Datascape. His heart will be taken and stored inside one of those containers. Then, I will use his heart to create artificial Heartless.”

 _Artificial Heartless?_ “No! Let him go!” _Why!? Why are they doing this!?_ “You can’t! You need him, don't you!?”

Lea's cries fell on deaf ears. “No. He is expendable.”

_Expendable!?_

Xehanort then continued his speech to the other apprentices. “The Door to Darkness is now open. No longer must we remain prisoners of this tiny world. Ours is a much greater destiny.”

Door to Darkness? Other worlds? Lea had no idea what he was talking about, and right now, he really didn't care. His only concern at the moment was helping his friend. “Stop! Just leave him alone! Please!”

Even looked away with a troubled expression.

Lea got down on his hands and knees. He didn't care about anything else anymore. It didn't matter how much he despised these men. He would do whatever it took—even beg—to save his friend. Surely, one of these scientists had a conscience. At least, that's what he hoped.

“Then do it.” Xehanort had a terrifying look in his eye. “Do it, or your friend will be the one to face the consequences.”

Lea lifted himself up, slowly turned around, and looked at the small helpless girl that stood before him.

Tears fell from her eyes. She wasn't looking at Lea, though. She was looking at Isa. It seemed like she was more concerned for his safety than even her own.

 _There's no way. I could never...I can't kill someone. Can I...?_ “I...I...cant...” Lea said in a small voice, sounding utterly defeated.

“Then he shall receive your punishment for disobeying me.” Xehanort placed his finger over the button.

“No! Please...” Lea began to cry. He couldn't bear the thought of harming the little girl. But he couldn't bear seeing his best friend lose his heart right in front of him, either.

Xehanort looked Lea dead in the eye. “Who is more important to you? Your friend? Or this girl?”

_How can I decide something like that? Which life is more important? Do I really have to choose? Who's more important to me? What should I do?_

His breathing got faster and faster as he began trembling. He clenched his fists and closed his eyes.

_Isa! Isa is my best friend. He's...more important to me than anybody else. I have to save him. I have to...I have to..._

“Do you wish to save him? Then do it! Call upon the darkness in your heart and unleash it upon that girl!” Xehanort's voice echoed through the metal walls of the lab.

_I really, really don't want to do this. But I don't have a choice. I...I have to destroy her. I'm...so sorry..._

The little red-haired girl looked up at Lea's face. She was crying. Seeing her stare at him helplessly, Lea's body was frozen. He couldn't move a muscle. He didn't even blink. _No. I can't do it...There's just no way..._

Isa's voice pierced through the chaos. “Lea! Stop! They're trying to make you give into the darkness! Don't do it!” _This is all my fault. I know Lea would never hurt anyone. But they're going to make him do it, just to save me. No. I don't want that. I'd rather not exist at all than to have that happen. I...don't deserve to. Not if Lea has to hurt that girl..._

Lea's heart was now beating out of his chest. _What do I do now? What the hell do I do?_

Xehanort seemed to be losing his patience. “I see, so you've made the choice to disobey me.” He pushed a button on the keyboard.

The machine began to scan Isa's form, preparing to whisk him away. _This is it for me. I’m so sorry, Lea. Please don’t give yourself over to darkness..._ He instinctively closed his eyes and shielded his face with his arms. “Ahhhh!”

“ _Noo_!” Lea cried as he watched. The sound of Isa's terrified screams were still ringing in his ears, even after he had disappeared.

All of a sudden, a bolt of energy came out of the machine in the Heartless Manufactory and a Heartless materialized right in front of everyone. It was different from a normal Heartless. It had an emblem on it. A red heart with a black “X” going through it. As the Heartless materialized, a heart disappeared from one of the dozens of containers on the wall.

“Yes. We have done it. We've created the first artificial Heartless. This experiment...was a success.” Xehanort had a sinister smile on his face. Then he walked inside the Heartless Manufactory, along with Even and Braig.

 _Experiment!? This was all an experiment!?_ Lea was on his knees, crying.

It was, indeed, all an experiment. The apprentices simply needed to amplify the darkness in someone’s heart, then extract it. This darkness would facilitate the creation of artificial Heartless. That was all they were after today. 

The apprentices assumed it would come from Lea. Whether he decided to violate his own heart and kill an innocent girl, or whether he refused and watched his best friend appear to lose his heart—either way, Xehanort figured that he would create enough darkness. Xehanort didn't expect Lea to harm the child. But he knew just the right weakness to exploit. By pretending to steal Isa's heart, he thought Lea would enter a rage, then that darkness could later be extracted using their computer.

Unexpectedly, It was Isa's heart that provided the requisite darkness. The horror of watching his best friend commit murder for his sake, or the terror of losing his own heart—those were his only two choices. It was too much for him to bear, and it gave birth to a great darkness within his heart. And this darkness gave birth to the very first artificial Heartless. Xehanort had simply planned to send him to the Datascape temporarily as a bluff. But he proved to be more useful than they had anticipated.

“Even, how is the girl?” Xehanort asked.

“It appears she's just fainted.” The small girl, that Even knew was named Kairi, was lying on the floor. She passed out from shock of her ordeal.

Though asleep, Even noticed that the girl's aura was still pure and bright. He had only seen this color once before. It was when he met Ventus after he rescued Ienzo. Even was the only one able to pick up on the subtleties of the human aura. His intuition was extraordinarily keen. And he was right about Xehanort, after all.

_I thought this experiment might actually do it. But even now, her aura is unchanged. No matter what, we haven't been able to cultivate any darkness in her heart. Perhaps it's just because she's so young. Or perhaps there is something very special about this girl. Could it be? A heart of pure light..._

“Good. Then take her to the pod room. I want you to analyze her heart later.”

“Yes, Sir.” Even promptly obeyed and left the Heartless Manufactory, carrying Kairi.

Then Xehanort pushed a button on the computer, and Isa re-materialized as he returned from the Datascape.

“And the boy?” Xehanort looked to Braig.

Braig started chuckling as he bent over and looked at Isa, who was lying on the floor of the transport area. “Uh-oh. Looks like you broke another one of the the toys. Well, no surprise there, I guess. But man, talk about a creepy stare.” He recognized that look after seeing it so many times before. Isa's eyes were open, but his expression was blank and lifeless. He looked like a doll or an empty puppet. It was the same look that the pilot test subjects had after their hearts had collapsed. They didn't retain their human form for very long afterwards.

 _Broken!? What the hell does that mean?_ Lea couldn't breathe. It was like the air was sucked right out of him.

“Honestly, I was betting that the redhead would be the one to provide us the darkness. Looks like the blue-haired kid had some use, after all. Who would have guessed?” Braig shrugged playfully.

“Yet, his heart was unable to withstand the ordeal. Another failed specimen. Such sacrifices, I suppose, are necessary in the name of progress. And those without power all always the first to be sacrificed,” Xehanort stated, totally calm. If he was even the tiniest bit bothered by anything that just happened, he certainly didn't show it.

“Shut up! He's not a specimen! He's a _person_! What the hell is wrong with you people?!” Lea spat, his voice cracking through his tears.

Dilan simply ignored Lea. “Hmph. Of course he turned out to be a failure. He's just a boy. Even all of our adult subjects had their hearts collapse. What do you expect when you use children?”

“Well, we _are_ low on subjects. Might as well start off with the kiddies before we risk using the rest our our adult prisoners. Am I right?”

“Hmph. Completely useless," Dilan scoffed.

“Hey, he wasn’t _completely_ useless,” Braig reminded him with a laugh.

Aeleus stood motionless and quiet the entire time, staring at the floor.

 _Useless!? Failure!?_ They were talking about Isa like he was an inanimate object. Now that they got what they wanted from him, he was disposable. Like a piece of garbage. Lea glared at the apprentices with a look of utter hatred. He had never felt such deep hatred before. He hated every last one of them with all his heart.

“Take him away before he becomes a Heartless.” Xehanort looked over to Braig. Then he pushed a button, opening the spiral staircase once again.

“Right.” He then grabbed Isa and picked him up in his arms. “Looks like you're comin’ with me now, kiddo.”

Braig took Isa and began to make his way to the spiral staircase, towards the prison cells. The same prison where Kairi was originally being kept. Those cells were as much a graveyard as the basement cellar. After being kept there for a prolonged period of time—in total darkness and isolation—Kairi was the only subject who didn’t become a Heartless. She just lost all her memories.

“Isa!” Lea shouted to Isa, who appeared to be in some kind of stupor and didn't respond to him.

“Man, I sure do hate goin’ down to those prisons, though...” Braig muttered to himself.

“Stop! Let him go! He hasn't lost his heart!” Lea shouted as he ran towards Braig. _Isa_ _couldn't lose his heart! That's just not possible!_

“Take that one back to his cell.” Xehanort motioned to Dilan, who then entered the door to the Heartless Manufactory and seized Lea by the arm.

“Get the hell off of me! Let me go!” His cries echoed throughout the lab.

“Quiet, boy,” Dilan snapped at Lea as he dragged him down the spiral staircase. Lea struggled and shouted but was no match for a man of Dilan's size and strength.

* * *

Even and Aeleus were staring at their monitors, typing various reports onto their computers. They were asked to study the strange fragments that fell from the sky during the meteor shower from a few nights ago. They were the only ones present in the basement experimental laboratory. 

Suddenly, Even slammed his hands on his desk. “That was a _child_!”

Aeleus had nothing to say. He looked away.

“Tell me, Aeleus. Did you swear an oath to Master Ansem in order to harm children!?”

After a few moments, Aeleus responded. His face was expressionless. “There's no turning back from the path we're on. This is what we've chosen. If we go against him now, we're next. And Ienzo as well. Are you prepared to face those consequences?”

Even fell silent. Aeleus was right. If they spoke to Ansem about what was going on, Ienzo would surely suffer the same fate as that blue-haired child. Even knew better than anyone what Xehanort was capable of. He sensed a great darkness within him as soon as he met him. Yet, he still went along with the experiments. He didn't realize how quickly they would snowball into such utter depravity. There was no way Even could let anything happen to Ienzo due to his foolish pride as a scientist. And he was terrified for himself, too. _Powers help me, I'm such a coward._

“It’s almost dawn. We've been ordered to go and make a report on the subject.”

“The prison?” _Not that place again. Anywhere but there…_

Even and Aeleus entered the prison area of the basement. The atmosphere there made Even tremble. It was suffocating. He absolutely hated it and avoided going down there whenever possible.

When the pair arrived at the cell however, there was no Heartless inside, like they expected.

“That boy—” Even gasped.

“What is it?” Aeleus reluctantly peered inside the dimly lit cell and saw not a Heartless, but a young boy lying on the small bed inside. “I thought he was one of the lost.”

“Yes, all signs indicated that his heart had collapsed. All prior subjects became Heartless within several hours. This subject is most unusual.”

Even entered the code and walked into the boy’s cell. He was unresponsive, but still alive. His eyes were open, but his expression remained still and totally lifeless.

“Is he…?” It was a bit difficult for Aeleus for to ask.

“No, his vital signs are all strong.” Even took the boy in his arms. “Child, are you well?” He spent a few minutes trying to communicate with the boy, but got nowhere. He was totally incoherent, unable to even tell them his own name. “Astonishing. I hadn't anticipated anything like this. I'm sure Xehanort will be very interested in this anomaly. Perhaps we can find some kind of treatment for him.”

After leaving the basement, Even approached Xehanort’s quarters. Reluctantly, he knocked on the door. When Xehanort answered, Even explained the situation to him.

“Interesting. Keep it there.” 

“S-sir?”

 _I wonder. Is the blue-haired boy’s heart that powerful? Or is it some effect the red-haired boy is having on his heart?_ “We’ll see if a few more days of complete isolation in total darkness has any effect on the subject. If it still retains its human form, _then_ we'll know for sure if it is of any further value to us.”

Even bowed to Xehanort, which masked the look of discomfort on his face. “Of course.”

* * *

Several days passed.

Deep underneath the castle, Braig approached a pitch black cell. “How you holdin’ up in there, X?” he spoke to the motionless shadowy figure from behind the bars.

Isa muttered something unintelligibly.

“Sorry, didn’t quite catch that.” Braig laughed at Isa’s attempt to communicate with him. Whatever he was trying to say was impossible to discern.

“L-Lea...” 

That time, it was clear. Braig scowled. _So. That’s the power of his heart, huh?_ “Well, time to come with me.” He nonchalantly entered the code, opened the cell door, and took Isa by the hand. Isa got up and followed Braig obliviously.

After a long walk, the pair arrived in the Castle Chapel, where Xehanort was already waiting. The light from the full moon shone down from the the large window on the ceiling, directly onto the image of the sun engraved on the floor.

Fourteen lit candles circled the entire wall. Two stone gargoyles stood at the sides of the stone altar in the middle of the Chapel. The emblem above the altar was a large heart with a cross going through it.

There, in the moonlight, Xehanort and Braig hovered over the barely lucid Isa. Both were wearing black robes with their hoods up. Their shadows completely covered Isa's frame as he was lying down on the stone altar. His eyes were open and he was looking up at the silhouettes.

“Now, a new seed shall be planted,” Xehanort commanded.

Braig raised the tip of his sharp pointed arrowgun. Then, he slashed it across Isa’s face twice. Though Isa displayed no signs of self-awareness, he howled in pain. After inflicting the wound, Isa’s blank gaze unsettled Braig. It felt like Isa was staring straight at him. Or more like, straight _through_ him. _Those eyes...they’re glaring at me, aren’t they?_

“As your flesh bears the sigil, so shall your name be known as that...of a recusant.” Xehanort looked down at Isa’s bloody face. The Sigil of the Recusant was now carved directly onto his forehead. Somewhere in Xehanort’s sleeping memories, he knew the true meaning of that sigil—it was a letter that spelled death and endings.

Xehanort and Braig then took Isa back down into the castle basement to a white room made of marble. This unusual room was located right next to the prisons. It was called the Chamber of Repose. It was yet another graveyard; for a young woman that both Braig and Xehanort were quite familiar with. The Chamber of Repose was where Ansem performed experiments related to memory using the armor and Keyblade that were found next to Xehanort, when he was discovered lying unconscious in the Central Square. 

Braig placed Isa on the floor the at edge of the room, near the wall. Aqua’s armor and Keyblade were lying right next to him.

Xehanort looked over at the pieces of Aqua’s armor and slowly muttered in a low voice, “These are but empty shells of the life they were once possessed. Like you are—empty and void of life.” He sat down in the large white chair in the middle of the room, then summoned ethereal chains. He continued his chant as he watched the chains of memory tightly wrap themselves around Isa’s body. “Your soul, your heart, and your body. They belong to me. Submit. Cast yourself into wakeless oblivion. An eternal sleep.”

And with those words, Isa slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep. The chains binding him then disappeared.

 _The boy’s memory has been sealed. It should not return now._ Xehanort then stood up from his chair and summoned a black-and-white Keyblade with a goat's head and a blue eyeball on it.

Braig stared at the Keyblade and his lips curled into a devious smirk.

Xehanort launched a piece of his heart inside of Isa and watched as it was absorbed into the boy’s body. “This heart has been connected. Tied to the darkness. Soon to be completely eclipsed.”

The ritual was now over. 

Unlike the Chapel, the Chamber of Repose was not dim. Braig's smirk was instead hidden by his raised hood. “I swear, you've got some sense of humor there, Xehanort. I mean, really. _This_ kid? A vessel? Man, you sure did pick a dud this time,” he chuckled while shaking his head.

Xehanort just smiled under his hood. “Few humans are like you. Most will reject the intrusion of a foreign entity into their heart. Our experiments to control the mind ended in failure. All the subjects’ hearts collapsed. All except for this one.” He stared at Isa, who was still motionless on the floor. “I will just have to make the empty vessel...stronger.”

Braig was still snickering. “Yeah, good luck with _that_. Gonna have your hands full with this scrawny brat. But hey. I guess I can’t blame ya. I mean, just look at the last vessel you chose. Hate to admit it, but he was strong. Cost me my right eye. But that one’s _still_ causin’ you problems. Seriously. I can never tell if I’m talkin’ to you or...Terra.” With his one golden eye, Braig looked over at Aqua’s armor and Keyblade.

Xehanort remembered how much of a fight Terra had put up.

_**“Your body submits, your heart succumbs—so why does your mind resist?”** _

That boy’s mind was so resistant to intrusion, it animated his empty shell. The hollow suit of armor he left behind somehow became full of life. Xehanort and the armor clashed under the giant full moon of Kingdom Hearts. Terra’s—no, _Eraqus’s—_ chains surrounded Xehanort. Even now, Terra and his master were still putting up a fight inside of him.

Xehanort’s eyes narrowed. “I will not repeat that mistake. If I am to create thirteen selves for the promised day, the subject’s mind must become entirely unaware of itself. The original identity must first die.” Xehanort stared at Isa’s X-shaped wound. “Only then can it become a suitable vessel. I will not tolerate any more...interference.”

* * *

Later, Xehanort continued to write in his report. This would be the final report he would write before his master became aware of his dangerous experiments:

_“All goes according to plan. The machine's test run successfully created a Heartless. This may be a step toward creating a heart from nothing. The artificially and naturally created Heartless showed nearly identical traits. But the two types remain distinct for the purpose of the experiment. So, I will mark the ones that are created artificially.  
_

_Furthermore, the new subject's memories have not returned, and our conversations remain less than lucid. He exhibits no signs of self-awareness whatsoever._

_My pilot studies used a handful of subjects, but none possessed the fortitude to endure them. Ultimately, all suffered the collapse of their hearts and subsequently transformed into Heartless shortly thereafter._

_This subject is most unique. It appears that although the mind is severely fragmented, the heart remains yet intact. I have given him the name: 'X'. So far, he is the first and only successful subject of the experiments.”_


	9. Subject X

“Oh, why it appears we have visitors,” Merlin said as he saw the three good fairies appear in the secret forest with a few guests in tow—Aerith, Yuffie, Leon, and Cid. “Is everything all right?”

“Don't worry, Merlin. Everything's fine,” Leon explained. “We were just asked to get Kairi. Someone at the castle wanted to talk to her.”

 _Huh? Me?_ Kairi glanced over at Leon's gang.

“Hm? What's going on?” Lea couldn't help but be curious when he heard the castle mentioned.

As soon as Leon noticed Lea, he couldn't believe his eyes. “Y-You! You're Lea!” 

“You know him?” Kairi looked at Leon.

“Yeah. We...went to school together.”

Aerith approached Lea immediately after Leon did. “After Radiant Garden fell to darkness, we never knew what happened to you, Lea. The rest of us wound up in Traverse Town. We were hoping you and Isa wound up there, too, but...”

“Hey, it's fine. Not your fault.” Lea shrugged. He acted upbeat, just like when they were kids.

But Aerith still looked sad.

“Um. Why are you wearing an organization robe?” Yuffie reluctantly asked. She was a bit younger than Leon and Aerith, so she didn't know Lea personally.

“Well, that’s because, up until recently I was a member,” Lea flatly responded, not looking at Yuffie. His voice contained no emotion whatsoever.

“How long were you in Organization XIII!?”

Lea had never seen Leon lose his cool like that. He put his hands on his hips and stared up at the sky. “Since I last saw you guys, I guess.”

Leon had nothing to say, but the look on his face communicated a lot. He was clearly upset.

“Though I kinda double-crossed them recently.” A crooked smiled formed on Lea's face.

 _Organization XIII was here not long ago. I remember. Back when Sora defeated a thousand Heartless._ “If you were in Organization XIII, why didn't you ask anyone for help? This is your home.” Aerith looked up at Lea, holding her hand against her chest.

“Nobodies don't have homes,” Lea flatly stated, still smiling.

Now Cid was getting agitated. “Now, listen you. All of us know what it's like to lose our home. You're always welcome here. Ya got that?” 

Lea recognized Cid. He ran an accessory store in Radiant Garden. Lea didn't visit very often. He didn't really care much about jewelry. But Isa was a frequent customer. He liked the stylish earrings sold in Cid's store and Lea went shopping with him a few times after school.

“I'll keep that in mind,” Lea replied softly, not looking Cid in the eye. It felt awkward to have a bunch of people around, showing so much concern for him. He wasn't sure how to handle it.

“Where's Isa?” Cid asked.

“Yeah. Weren't you two always together?” Lea and Isa were inseparable from what Leon remembered. He never saw one of them without the other. The fact that Lea was here alone worried him.

Lea was staring up at the sky and noticed leaf being carried away by the wind. “He's...”

 _Oh, no. That doesn't sound good_ , Yuffie thought.

“He's still in the organization,” he said with a heavy sigh.

The looks on everyone’s faces dropped. They had all been told what had happened to Sora—how he almost became Xehanort's vessel, and the thirteenth member of the new Organization XIII. Did something similar happen to Isa?

“Lea...I'm sorry. We had no idea. Is there anything we can do to help?” Aerith's words contained so much tenderness.

“I'm...not sure. I thought if I mastered the Keyblade, I could bring his heart back. If that's even possible...” Lea said with a twinge of cynical laughter. He was staring at his hand, remembering the moment he first summoned his Keybade. _I don't know why I'm even telling them all this. Maybe it's ’cause I have a heart now..._

“It is,” Aerith immediately asserted. She was holding her hands to her chest and her eyes were closed. “His heart is still there. I’m sure of it.”

Lea always thought Aerith was always a little strange. Lea had a hard enough time understanding girls in general, but Aerith took it to another level. It was like she had a sixth sense or something. Like she just knew things that others didn't. She always said weird stuff. For some reason, Lea had a feeling that she wasn't just telling him that to cheer him up. But still, he didn't know how to respond. 

“Well, if _Aerith_ says so then it must be true,” Yuffie responded in a chipper tone.

Lea still said nothing.

Leon noticed his glum expression. “When everything is over, I'll make you both honorary members of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee. Hmm.” He put his hand on his chin. “I'll have to make you both cards later.”

 _Uh...thanks._ Lea could tell that Leon was trying to cheer him up...in his own awkward way. “Well, now. How could I possibly pass up an offer like _that_?” He was grinning and had a bit of humor in his voice.

Aerith smiled at Lea and Leon's bit of male bonding, then turned her attention to Kairi. “It's nice to see you again.”

“You, too, Aerith.” Kairi remembered how she stayed with Leon and his friends in Traverse Town. She waited while Sora left to help Riku, who was still possessed by Xehanort's Heartless. What Kairi didn't know was that Aerith remembered her from before then. She remembered a little red-haired girl who used to pick flowers near the outer gardens, just like she did. “So, why did the guys at the castle want to see me?”

“We're not exactly sure. But Sora is there right now, actually,” Leon answered.

“Really?” _Sora is there?_  
  
“Yeah. But he’s asleep. Ansem's apprentices have been probing the depths of his heart, trying to decode the data Ansem the Wise left inside of him. I don’t know if we can trust them, but Riku said they’re our best shot right now. So, we really don't have much of a choice.”

“I see. But I don’t think there’s anything _I_ can do to help. I don’t know why they’d wanna see me.”

“Well, according to the reports we've read, Ansem _was_ studying you. Er, the real Ansem, that is.” Yuffie tilted her head. The whole Ansem situation was still a bit hard for her to wrap her head around.

 _Ansem was studying...Kairi?_ That detail caught Lea's attention. _Well, I guess that makes sense. She is a Princess of Heart, after all._

Leon stood with his arms folded. “After that, Xehanort was trying to use you to find the Keyblade.” 

_...What? Does that mean Kairi was...a test subject? No. There's no way._ Lea was stunned, but did his best to not let it show.

“You don't remember?” Aerith was looking directly at Kairi.

She shook her head. “No. Those days are hazy for me. I don't really remember anything about my time living in Radiant Garden. I'm sorry.”

“Oh, no. That's okay.”

“Well, let's just head to the castle and see what they want. Maybe it has something to do with Ansem's Code,” Leon said.

“All right.”

“I'll go, too.” Lea had his own reasons for wanting to go. But he kept those to himself.

* * *

Lea hadn't set foot inside the castle since he was recompleted. He didn't exactly want to come back here ever again, but he felt like maybe this was something he needed to do. For himself. And...for Isa.

Everyone entered the castle through the entrance at the Postern. When they arrived inside Ansem's Study, Even and Ienzo were waiting inside the computer lab.

Kairi, Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, and Cid entered the lab. Lea lingered for a bit inside Ansem's Study, alone.

“We brought Kairi.”

“Thank you, Leon.” Even then approached Kairi. “Princess, I wanted to tell you how sorry I am for what happened to you. The fact that you survived all this time. Truly, you are special.”

Kairi thought it was a little strange to be called “Princess” and for someone to apologize to her over something she didn't even remember. “It's all right. I ended up somewhere safe. With Sora and Riku.” For some reason, she felt compelled to touch her necklace.

“I am glad. I am sure Master Ansem would feel the same way. I know how agonized he was after you disappeared. I just hope that...we can find a way to save him, too.”

A few seconds later, Lea finally worked up the nerve to enter the lab.

As soon as Even saw him, he turned his back. “Axel...No. _Lea._ ” _So. He's allied with the Keyblade heroes now. He is...a Guardian of Light..._

This was the first time Lea remembered hearing Even use his real name. It kind of amused him. “Not happy to see me, Even?” He smiled through his biting sarcasm. Talking to Even felt so awkward. As a Nobody, Lea was the one who ended his existence. Ienzo, too. 

_I am a coward._ “I knew this day would come. Following my erasure and my recompletion as a human, I did not awaken right away. Perhaps the damage was exceptionally grave. Even after waking, I remained in bed, barely able to move. Seeing you like this. It is a reminder of my sins.”

Lea didn't respond. He didn't even know _how_ to respond to that. He simply stared at Even's back.

“I was a fool. I was obsessed with pursuing my scientific advancements and went against my master's wishes. I cannot simply blame Xehanort for my actions. I let myself become consumed with darkness. I thought...if I gave up my heart, I could escape from this guilt. But there is no escape from what I've done. I realize that now.”

Everyone's eyes were glued to Lea, but he showed no reaction whatsoever.

 _Poor Lea_ , Kairi thought. _Something horrible must have happened to him and his friend._

“There is no way I can ever apologize for what I did to you. You, or your friend. I don't expect you to forgive me. But I want to to know that I truly am sorry. I will do anything you ask of me. If you've come to take my life...then I accept.”

“E-Even!” Ienzo couldn't believe what he just said. _That's going too far! Surely such a thing is not necessary! We should be using our humanity to start anew!_

Lea looked down at the floor for a moment before he decided to respond. “Help Sora.”

Hearing that, Even finally gained the courage to turn around and look at Lea.

“The data that Ansem the Wise left inside of Sora. Riku said it's the key to bringing back the people who've been lost.”

Lea didn't look angry, like Even expected. He just looked sad. 

“Please. If there's anything you can do to help bring back my friend...” Even could see the pain on his face and hear it in his voice. “That's all I care about. Nothing else really matters to me any more.”

Even took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his eyes. “You have my word. Whatever it takes to atone.”

* * *

Kairi went to speak with Even and Ienzo for a bit. She wanted to learn more about her past and they showed her all of the reports Xehanort had written under Ansem’s name. One particular report offered Kairi answers.

“ _Opening the door to a world's heart causes its walls to crumble._ _These fragments are seen as shooting stars._ _This explains why these ‘gummi blocks’ can travel freely to other worlds._ _I know the catalyst of this collapse—the appearance of the Heartless. However, it will take to time search out the worlds' doors and to retrieve each heart._

 _Furthermore, the doors can be locked using a Keyblade, making the heart forever unattainable. I must take action before the wielder of the key appears in this world._ _If the princesses and the Keyblade are connected, they should resonate._ _I've chosen a girl. I don't know if she holds the princesses' powers, but I will find out. She may lead me to the key bearer._ _I shall set her free and observe.”  
_

“I remember. I was found on Destiny Islands on the night of a meteor shower. The mayor took me in.” Kairi closed her eyes and remembered things from long, long ago. _Yes._ _After that, I met Sora and Riku._

Even regarded Kairi with all the respect and formality of a real princess. “Perhaps we can find a way to restore your lost memories, too, Princess.” 

“Maybe. But, right now, Sora is more important. He needs your help to decode the data Ansem the Wise left inside of him. Everyone's counting on him.”

* * *

While Kairi was in the lab, Lea decided to look around inside of Ansem's Study. That was when he stumbled upon them. Notes from Ansem the Wise. The real Ansem. And on Subject X—on Isa.

**Secret Ansem Report**

_“We are not meant to interfere in the depths of another's heart, no matter what our reasons for doing so...And my error plunged me into despair. A visitor from another world soothed my dejected soul. A tiny king named Mickey came wielding a legendary key — the infamous 'Keyblade,' said to bring both chaos and prosperity to the world. He was very knowledgeable on many topics, and we deepened our friendship as we conversed companionably._

_Upon his advice, I decided to review the data obtained at my basement lab. That is when I discovered the 'Ansem's Reports'. Though they bore my name, the only one I had written was number 0. Apparently he had gone on to pen numbers 1 through 8 himself. Yes — the first subject in my foolish experiments. In the 'Ansem's Reports' my apprentice Xehanort had written under my name, I found the records of his hideous experiments along with his hypothesis about the door that had appeared out of the darkness in my basement._

_I immediately confronted my apprentices and ordered the release of every last prisoner. Did Xehanort pass through that door in an attempt to contact that dark realm? No, not only Xehanort. It appears my other five apprentices, believing it was for the sake of research, stared deep into the darkness and were pulled into it. Even, Ienzo, Braig, Dilan, and Aeleus...They have ceased to be human.”_

**Notes on Subject X**

_“Three elements combine to create a life: a heart, a soul, and a body. When the soul leaves the body, its vessel, life gives way to death. Yet when the heart leaves the body, a being does not perish. The heart alone disappears into the darkness and the being becomes a Heartless. Neither a corpse nor a Heartless can be considered a suitable vessel for me. It stands to reason that I must instead focus on controlling the mind, without damaging the heart._

_Only one subject so far has been a success. I knew it would be a heavy blow to lose a subject as unique as he._ _Upon discovering the tests I've been conducting, my master demanded that I cease my work immediately and destroy what research I have compiled. Worse still, he ordered the release of my remaining subjects. He is gone. Where is Subject X now? Has ‘wise’ Master Ansem hidden him away? Whatever the case, I will not be deterred. I will get Subject X back.”_

* * *

The people of Radiant Garden had lived in peace, with Ansem the Wise maintaining the balance of their world. His apprentices numbered six—Xehanort, Even, Ienzo, Braig, Dilan, and Aeleus—and each was brilliant in his own way.

Ansem, however, had only one objective: to uncover the secrets of the darkness in the heart. With Even’s assistance, Ansem performed a little experiment on Xehanort. It was meant to awaken the memories sleeping in Xehanort’s heart. Ansem no longer understood what had precipitated it. But at some point, the research slipped from his control, and his apprentices found experimental subjects on their own. They continued the studies in an enormous laboratory built under Ienzo’s direction.

And then the night when they opened the Door to Darkness, meteors rained down on their world. That meteor shower was the reason his apprentices’ unusual activities even came to Ansem’s attention.

He called all of his apprentices into his study. “That meteor shower! That was your doing, wasn't it!?”

Nobody responded to Ansem. It was the first time any of them saw him lose his temper.

“I can't believe it! You're conducting experiments without my supervision?!” he bellowed at his apprentices, all gathered around his table.

“But Master Ansem—” Xehanort began.

“I don't want to hear it. Shut it all down immediately!” Ansem snapped. “I won't have anyone opening the Door to Darkness.”

Xehanort, the young man who had once lost his memory, desperately persisted. “But the truth of the worlds is there."

“I will not allow it! Out. I'm sealing off the entire laboratory.”

At that, the apprentices all gloomily hung their heads and left the lab. Ansem made sure the door was closed and locked behind them before he sank into a chair and let out a bone-deep sigh.

Could those six have hit upon anything about the darkness in the heart? Had they grown entangled in that darkness themselves while pursuing its mysteries? There was no doubt Ansem himself had led to all this as the one who'd begun these experiments. He tried to think what he could do to correct this grave mistake. And that was when it happened. Not long afterwards, a visitor from another world arrived, as if to answer his prayers.

* * *

“Xehanort!” cried Even, bursting into the experimental lab in the basement. The other apprentices looked up from the various computers where they were sorting their data. This lab also served as a facility for producing Heartless in mass quantities.

“What’s the matter?” asked Dilan with a nasty smirk. “Did Master Ansem say something again?”

“No—there’s a visitor from somewhere else,” Even replied. “Apparently, there really are other worlds.”

Xehanort frowned. “What does that mean?”

“Someone calling himself the king of one of those worlds came to visit Master Ansem. And from his appearance, it’s obvious he is indeed from another world. Said his name is Mickey, I believe…”

“So, the opening of the door affects the worlds,” Ienzo said quietly.

Aeleus and Braig had nothing to add.

“Let’s go and see.” Xehanort got to his feet and wasted no time heading for Ansem’s room upstairs. Even followed him. The two stood outside the door and listened in.

Xehanort pondered what he’d heard of the conversation between Ansem and King Mickey. So there was a key called the Keyblade, said to have the power to open any door. There was a strange material that enabled one to fly through the Other Sky—Gummi blocks, fallen pieces from that meteor shower. And something about women known as the Princesses of Heart. All these immensely important shards of information began to fit together in Xehanort’s mind.

“What in the world were they talking about?” said Even, who had been trying to eavesdrop.

Xehanort ignored him and continued down the stairs to the basement laboratory. He flung open the door, and the others all turned to him at once. “Aeleus, where is the girl?” Xehanort asked.

“She’s asleep…” Aeleus pointed to the capsule room in the back. The girl was very particular—unique among people. They had not been able to create any Heartless using her heart. Perhaps because she was too young, or perhaps…

Xehanort disappeared into the capsule room.

* * *

Ansem's study was piled high with books and documents. At the large desk in the center of the room, Ansem sat munching on an ice cream pop, listening intently to the visitor from another world. The blue salty-sweet ice cream was his favorite—sea-salt ice cream.

“Wise Ansem, I've come to seek your advice,” said the king.

Ansem smiled. “I'm glad we have an opportunity to speak like this, my friend. Your hypothesis is most intriguing. To be frank, it's not easy to stave off the urge to test it.” He paused there, taking another bite of ice cream, and his expression darkened. “Still, I'm concerned about the stability of the worlds.”

He knew that the door had already been opened. It was the reckless actions of his apprentices, merely based on his own experiments, and yet he couldn't help but feel the blame lay entirely with him.

“Yep, that's what worries me, too,” the king replied.

“The doors that appeared and the place the Heartless seek… I fear my research may have brought this upon us…”

Ansem rested his forehead in his hands. Then there was a knock at the door. A young man stepped into the study—Xehanort.

“Master Ansem, regarding the experiment I presented the other day… With your permission—”

“Which is denied! Forget this talk of doors and the heart of all worlds!” Ansem stood to stare down Xehanort and told him with quiet finality, “That place must not be defiled.”

The heart was sacrosanct. And the darkness within the heart must never be tampered with. Darkness in the heart would invite darkness in the world… The world would be corrupted, and its stability would break down. And they must not let that happen.

“But Master Ansem… I've been thinking that—”

Ansem shook his head. “Xehanort, those thoughts are best forgotten.”

Defeated, Xehanort took a step back, nodded, and left the room.

 _The Door to Darkness. It seems Master Yen Sid was right. There's been a shift in the forces of darkness_ , Mickey thought. “Gosh, do ya think maybe I could take a look at the research that's been done so far? It might help me figure out what's been going on here.”

“Yes. Perhaps we should head down into the basement lab and look over my apprentices' reports.”

When Ansem finally went to the basement himself, what he discovered was far worse than he thought. Not only were his apprentices conducting horrific experiments, they were keeping live prisoners locked up in cells. Ansem and King Mickey were horrified. Ansem ordered the immediate release of all prisoners. However, there was one particular prisoner who caught his attention. A young boy with blue hair sleeping inside a pod in the capsule room. This subject with a large scar on his face was not in any condition to be released. 

* * *

Lea was back in his cell. He had been left here by himself ever since the experiment at the Heartless Manufactory. He sat in the dark, slumped over, with his head buried in his arms. He was kept awake, consumed by thoughts of anger, hatred, and sadness. But most of all, regret.

He didn't sleep at all during the long nights. He just rocked back and forth in the fetal position, like a small child.

The sound of footsteps approaching could be heard, but Lea ignored it. It was likely just Braig coming to drop off food for the day, along with the usual taunting. And Lea certainly didn't care about that.

But when he finally arrived, he delivered some very unexpected news. “Well, kiddo, today's your lucky day. All prisoners are to be released.”

“Huh?” It took several seconds for Braig's words to compute.

“The experiments are officially over. You're free to go now.” It appeared that he was serious.

“What? ...Released?” Lea could barely string a sentence together, which seemed to amuse Braig.

“Yep.” Braig was grinning ear to ear.

His casual demeanor angered Lea. “So after everything, you're just gonna release us now!?” _Why!? What's in it for them!?_

“Got no choice. Orders are orders.”

Lea had no idea what he was talking about, but now wasn't exactly the time to argue. If he was being set free, then he wasn't about to push his luck. Could this whole ordeal actually be over? He desperately hoped so. Maybe now he could go home. Things could finally go back to normal again.

“Where's Isa!? I'm not leaving without him!”

“That one? Heh. Who knows. He was taken away from us. Considering our special visitor, he might even be in another world by now. Pity, really.”

 _Another...world?_ _Visitor?_ “What are you talking about!?” _Why the hell would he be in another world!?_

“Grown up matters. Ain't got nothin' to do with you. Now. It's time for you to go.”

“H-hey!”

Braig was getting impatient and took Lea by the arm, escorting him out of his cell.

* * *

“King Mickey, I'm afraid I must ask for your help.”

“Hm? What is it?”

Ansem led the king to another room. It was small and white and the walls were made of marble. On the plain white bed, a teenage boy was sitting lifelessly.

“As you can see, this boy is the victim of my foolishness. Presently, he has no memories at all. Whenever I try to discern what happened to him, the boy collapses. None of my attempts to treat his condition have been successful.”

Mickey looked at the boy. The sadness on his face was evident. “Gosh. That's terrible.”

“I'd like to help him if I can. But I cannot risk performing any more experiments here. The Door to Darkness is now open and I've already sealed off my basement laboratory. I cannot risk inviting any more darkness to this world. And I also need to keep this boy safe from prying eyes. He is my responsibility.”

Mickey looked over at the boy and noticed the moon on his jacket. It brought to mind Master Yen Sid’s hat, dark blue and decorated with moons and stars. He took out the Star Shard from his pocket. _I know Master Yen Sid would want me to help. He would want me to take Ansem and this boy somewhere safe._ “Hmm. You know, I think I know just the place.”

Twilight Town. The town situated in the Realm Between. Mickey recently visited there with Scrooge, for business reasons. Mickey knew of the mansion with the unicorns, situated deep in the woods. Yen Sid had told him that long ago, that mansion was once a hideaway for those who knew the secrets of the worlds. It was the perfect place to hide from the forces of darkness and conduct research. No one would ever suspect that the ruler of Radiant Garden was staying in such a sleepy little town.

“Truly?”

“Yep! He'll definitely be safe there!”

“Thank you, my friend.”

* * *

Lea was free. For the last seven days, he was no longer a prisoner. He could go wherever he wanted. Every day since the day of his release, he went to the little ice cream stand in the Marketplace and waited. He was hoping that maybe, just maybe, today would finally be the day. But as expected, Isa didn't show. He never did.

Had he turned into a Heartless already? Or was what Braig said actually true? Was he actually in another world? Lea didn't know. All he knew was that everything felt empty. Like the entire world around him was covered in an ash-colored haze.

_Free, huh? No, I'm not._

As he did every day, Lea waited until it was almost sunset, dug into his nearly empty pocket, and handed the munny to the Moogle shopkeeper.

“One sea-salt ice cream.”

“Here ya go, kupo! Are you okay? You seem sad.”

“It’s nothing.”

Lea walked away. He barely had any munny left at this point. 

_Why? Why did I have to meet that girl? If it hadn't been for her, none of this would have happened._

He continued to walk absentmindedly. He didn’t even realize that his ice cream began to melt.

 _I_ _should have done it. I should have done it. If I did, Isa would still be here._

Upon thinking that, Lea immediately stopped dead in his tracks. He looked at his hand. The melted ice cream made it all sticky.

 _Darkness of the heart, huh? Well, I guess they got what they wanted. There's...definitely a lot of darkness in_ my _heart. No doubt about it._

Lea slowly finished his ice cream and tossed the stick behind him. Then he arrived at the side of a cliff. He stood near the edge with his arms folded, leaning his back against the rock wall. From that position, he could see his school down in the valley below. 

If he'd gone back home, he'd be back in school right now, actually. Back in his uniform. Everything would be back to normal. Back to the way it used to be. For the first time in his life, he actually yearned for that simple boring life.

But Lea never actually went home. Every night, he chose to stay there, at the cliff side, in his black robe. He couldn't bring himself to take it off.

_I just have to accept it, don't I? I'm never gonna see Isa again, am I? He's gone forever...isn't he?_

He sat down at the edge of the cliff, his feet dangling over the edge. Then he leaned back and placed his hands behind his head. His eyelids felt so heavy. He had gotten practically no sleep the past week. His headache was awful, but still nowhere near as painful as the aching chasm in his chest.

After a short while, he closed his eyes. Sleep was a luxury that he didn't get much of. But he welcomed the darkness that it occasionally brought. In the darkness of sleep, he was free from conscious awareness. If only for a little while, he was free from pain.

* * *

Isa sat on the sand, listening to the sound of the waves beat against the shore.

Lea sat down next to him after coming back from the concession stand.

“You ordered pizza? At the beach?” Isa asked with a laugh.

“So? What's wrong with that?”

“It's just kinda weird.”

 _“You're_ weird.”

“Shoulda gotten a watermelon. On second thought, maybe that's a bad idea. Last year, you just spit all your seeds at me.”

Lea laughed loudly remembering that. “We didn't have enough for a watermelon, anyways. Oh, here's the banana split you wanted.”

“Thanks.”

Lea wasted no time before he devoured his slice of pizza. The cheese was stretched out and there was sauce all over his face.

“Man, you eat like such a slob. Gross,” Isa said, acting playfully disgusted.

"I was hungry!” Lea whined. “Sheesh, you always have to nag me. I'm pretty sure you're actually a cranky old lady in a teenage boy's body.”

They both laughed as they sat side by side, watching the sun set. The sun made the waves glow crimson.

After he finished eating, Lea leaned back on the sand with his hands behind his head, the waves gently hitting his feet. Both of them sat quietly. It wasn't awkward, though. Lea always felt totally comfortable with Isa, even when nobody was talking. He was sure Isa felt the same.

Finally, Isa spoke up. “I had a lot of fun today. I wish we could come back again tomorrow, too.” The two boys pooled the allowance they both had been saving up to afford to come here today.

“Yeah, that'd be nice. But we're kinda broke.” Lea sighed. “Guess from now on, we gotta settle for beach-flavored ice cream, huh? Only 200 munny apiece...”

“Hey, that's not so bad.” _I like hanging out eating ice cream with you._ “Besides, it could be worse. We could be at school.” Isa knew how much Lea hated school.

Lea groaned. “Don't mention school on the first day of summer, dummy.”

 _It's always the same thing every day. Boring. At school it's nothing but endless homework. Even on your days off, you're screwed unless you've got munny. And to make munny, you gotta waste all your time doing a bunch of boring crap. When we become adults, I bet it's just gonna be even worse._ He sighed deeply. _It's not fair. Why can't every day just be fun, like this? I really don't wanna go home yet..._

“Hey, Isa.” Lea was absently staring at the scarlet sky.

“What?”

“Let's do something, like, _really_ exciting this summer.”

“Like what?” Isa asked nonchalantly. After knowing Lea for so long, he was used to his crazy plans. He took another bite out of his banana split, still watching the waves.

“How about...we sneak inside the castle? You always said you were dying to know what went on in there, right?” The words came out of Lea's mouth as soon as he thought of them.

“What? Are you crazy?” Isa asked, partially laughing. “Try coming up with something not, ya know, _impossible_.”

“You really think it's impossible? I don't. I think it's possible.”

Isa could tell that Lea was off in his own little world. _Lea seems kinda down today._ “I dunno...”

“Wouldn't it be awesome to see the inside?” To Lea, it was not just a castle. It was a _wonderland_. It was just the escape from ordinary life he craved.

“Yeah...it would,” Isa reluctantly conceded.

Lea sat up and stared right at Isa. “So, whaddaya say? Let's just do it! C'mon. I promise you. It'll be _unforgettable_.” 

“We could get in big trouble, Lea,” Isa said softly.

Lea had a mischievous grin. “Hey, if you have a dream, don't wait. Act. One of life's little rules. Got it memorized?” 

Isa leaned back casually. He thought for a few seconds before answering. “'Kay. I guess I'm in.”

* * *

_A dream, huh? Funny. It felt so real._

It was pitch black out. Lea had been asleep for a long time. He just wished he could go back to sleep.

_It really felt like here was here with me just now._

He was still lying down as he looked up at the stars.

_It's strange. It...almost feels like he still is..._

He'd never thought about it before, but now he wondered if there really _were_ other worlds out there. For all he knew, there were as many worlds as there were stars in the sky. In one of those worlds, Isa was there waiting for him. He could feel it in his heart. He sat upright and put his hand over his heart. 

_He's not gone. I know he's still out there. Somewhere. I just know it._

Lea got onto his feet.

_I'm tired of this. Waiting around isn’t gonna get me anywhere. If I don't get up and actually do something, nothing’s gonna change._

He looked over the cliff, at his school.

 _I’m not going back there. Not without Isa. I don't care if he_ is _in another world. I don't care where he is. I don't care. I'm going to find him and get him back. No matter how long it takes. No matter what I have to do. No matter who stands in my way._

As soon as Lea thought that, a large black portal appeared out of nowhere, right in front of him.

“Whoa!” _What the hell is this? Did it...answer my call?_

He remembered what the white-haired man had said during the experiment.

_Is this the "Door to Darkness?" Like that door I saw in the basement of the castle?_

The dark portal lingered, as if waiting for a response from him.

_Now what do I do? Does it lead somewhere? Like...to another world?_

For some reason, he felt entranced by this portal.

_I'm...afraid. But...what exactly am I so afraid of?_

He took one last look at his school.

_I already know the answer to that. I'm afraid that I'll never see Isa again._

A crooked grin suddenly formed on Lea’s face as he looked at the portal again. _“_ If you have a dream, you don't wait. You act. One of life's little rules. I got it memorized, all right.” And with those words, he took a single step inside the dark portal.

_I'm not afraid of the darkness._

After stepping all the way inside inside, he walked through the long dark tunnel. It wasn't totally dark, however. There was a small glimmer of light, far off in the distance. He walked and walked for what felt like an eternity.

By the time he made it to that tiny light, he collapsed. When he woke up he was lying on the ground in a place he had never seen before.

“Ugh. Where...am I?”

He looked around and noticed a large clock tower. The tower's bell chimed, and the sound of a train speeding away could be heard in the distance. This was Twilight Town, a world situated between light and dark.


	10. Day 1: Sleep

“Morning, Lea.”

“Yo,” Lea greeted Kairi with a salute.

That made her smile. “Hee hee. You're so weird.”

Today, the three good fairies were standing near the trees, where Merlin ordinarily would be.

“Kairi!” Flora seemed elated. “The new outfit we're designing for you is so lovely! You really do look wonderful in pink!”

“Oh, I can't wait to see it! Thank you!”

Lea couldn't help but be amused with the topic of this morning's atypical conversation. It was nice to have a break from all the talk of training, though.

Flora then turned her attention to Lea. “Oh. Lea, dear, we're still not finished designing yours. What exactly is your style? It's hard to tell since we've only seen you wearing that dreary organization attire.”

 _Oh, boy. I don't really wanna change my clothes. I...can't. But somehow I have a feeling that answer won't satisfy her._ “Uh, I'm not really that great with fashion. I dunno? Just make something that looks cool. Oh, and make it black. Kinda got used to wearing black.” Lea put his hands on his hips and looked down at the robe he was wearing. “And I gotta say, it doesn't look too bad on me.”

“B-b-black? Like Maleficent? Are you sure? Because I think you would look so handsome in red! Why, it even matches you hair.”

 _Sheesh. I don't really care that much. It's just clothes_ , Lea thought.

“Can't you tell he doesn't want to wear red? Blue would look so much better on him!” Merryweather grumbled.

“You say that about everyone, dear,” Flora retorted with biting sarcasm.

“Heh.” A tiny smile found its way to Lea's face as he listened to the fairies argue. _Blue is more Isa's color. He was the one who was fussy about his appearance. Not me._

Fauna did her best to quell the bickering. “Listen, dears, we don't have time for this now!” 

“Yes, yes. You're right.”

“Sorry.”

Lea yawned and stretched as he asked, “So, anyways. Where's Merlin? He's late. Not done drinking his thousandth cup of tea yet?”

“He'll be back later. He went to speak with Master Yen Sid about Ansem's Code,” Flora replied.

Lea wasn't expecting to hear that. “So, have they been able to figure anything out?”

“Yes.”

“Really?” This news was very exciting to Kairi. “So, then, we know how to rescue the three missing Guardians of Light?” 

Lea was listening intently.

The mild-mannered Fauna suddenly spoke in a rather authoritative tone. “What the young Sora needs is a connection.”

“A...connection?” Lea raised an eyebrow. _Huh? What's that supposed to mean?_

“Why, yes. It's really quite simple. All a heart needs to be awakened is the right spark. Someone that person once cared for and who cared for them, who can show them the way home. Master Yen Sid said the same thing.”

Merryweather clasped her hands. “It's just like our dear Princess Aurora. Her heart was taken from her and she was put into a deep slumber by Maleficent. But when Prince Phillip arrived, the kiss of true love was able to break the spell and awaken her.”

Flora smiled. “Ah, yes. Love. Even the forces of darkness are no match for that kind of power.” Lea and Kairi listened carefully to every word she spoke. “When the heart's connection is powerful enough, that is when there's real magic. More powerful than even ours. And _that_ is the power of waking, my dears.”

“With that kind of power, Sora should be able to awaken Ventus. That poor sweet child. It was thanks to him that Aurora's heart returned to her.”

“Don't worry, Fauna. Sora will be able to wake Ventus up. I just know it.”

Lea looked down, as if he were troubled by what Kairi just said.

She sensed his agitation. “Something wrong, Lea?”

“Nah. It's nothing,” Lea reassured her with a playful smile.

* * *

Instead of eating supper, Lea chose to hang out alone at the rock by the cliff. He wasn't really concerned with food today. Instead, his thoughts drifted to Roxas.

_So, the heart will awaken if there's a powerful enough connection. That's all it takes, huh? If that's true, then it's understandable that someone like Sora would be the key._

_That also means that Roxas's—well,_ Ventus's _heart—can wake up from inside of Sora. There's no reason that it couldn't._

Lea sat for a while, lost in thought. One moment in particular came to the forefront of his mind. It was a brief exchange he had with Roxas during The Struggle tournament. Roxas threw his Keyblade on the ground and yelled out the names of his three best friends.

_**“Hayner! Pence! Olette!”** _

_Those three kids. They were inside the Datascape. That fake Twilight Town that DiZ and Naminé created out of Roxas's memories. I was asked to bring Roxas back to the organization, but he didn't want to come with me. Those kids—they were the ones Roxas really wanted to stay with. I remember. That day. He was...calling their names. They were...Roxas's best friends._

Lea thought back to his last memory as a Nobody.

_**“I wanted to see Roxas. He was the only one I liked. He made me feel like I had a heart. You make me feel the same.”** _

He remembered how he gave up his very existence to help Sora save Kairi. All he wanted was to see Roxas. He thought that, if Roxas was waiting for him on the other side, then he could accept his inevitable disappearance.

He told Sora that he had no heart. He was smiling when he said it. But really? He was in pain, even back then. 

He could never bring himself to share that pain with anyone else, though. He certainly never shared it with Roxas. He thought it wouldn't be fair to burden him like that. Roxas was far too happy and full of life.

Just like Ventus.

Roxas, the boy who looked just like Ventus. The boy who became his friend, just like Ventus did. Roxas reminded him so much of Ventus. Everything about him was the same. He was a relic from the past. And Axel wanted to keep him that way _—_ pure and innocent. Just the way he remembered him.

_**“If I can't get answers here, I'll get them somewhere else. Somebody knows where I came from. That'll be the person I trust.”** _

_I never told you the truth about anything. I never told you that you looked like that boy I had met before. If I had, maybe things could have turned out different._

Lea knew what it felt like to share the pain in his heart with another. Axel, on the other hand, shouldered his burdens alone. Always alone. He always did his best to protect Roxas. He wanted to shelter him from the harsh realities of life. But looking back, this approach only created a chasm between them. While trying to be strong, all Axel did was push Roxas away.

Roxas never got a chance to understand what Axel was really feeling. The pain he carried inside his heart. The fear of being alone. And maybe...Axel didn’t truly understand Roxas and the pain he was carrying, either. 

_**“No one would miss me.”** _

_Roxas. Ventus. I...definitely won't be the one to wake you up. If I had that ability, you would have woken up back then. Even seeing me disappear right in front of you. It wasn't enough to awaken your heart_. _It's no surprise. You must have felt so alone._

_**“You really do remember me this time? I'm SO FLATTERED. But you're too late!”** _

_The last time I saw you, I tried to take you away from your friends. I attacked you. I told you I was there to destroy you. And I really did try to destroy you. I couldn't do it in the end. I knew I couldn’t. But I still tried._ _I didn't want to betray the organization. Betray Saïx. No. I didn't want to betray_ Isa _. I...didn't know what to do._

_**“Let's meet again in the next life.”** _

_I was half-joking when I said that. I didn't think you would really want to see me again. Not after what I had just done. But...you actually told me that you'd be waiting for me. Even after everything I did to you. You didn't realize it, but...that meant a lot to me._

Lea looked at the sunset as he felt his eyes burn and sting. He wiped them with his sleeve.

_I'm sorry, Ventus. I hope that we can meet again. I truly believe that we will. We’ll see each other again after you’ve been reborn._

Lea took a white envelope out of his pocket. He'd held onto it ever since the day Roxas left the organization, and he also took it with him on the day he was given the orders to eliminate him. He'd held onto it it ever since. He thought back to the dream he had before he woke up as a recompleted human.

_**“Hey, Axel. Have you forgotten?”** _

_No. I haven't._

_**“You made us a promise.”** _

_That's right. I did._

_**“That you'd always be there...to bring us back.”** _

_I did promise you that. It wasn't the first time I'd made that promise. You helped me to remember that. I'm...sorry that I failed you._

_**“Sora will find the answer we're looking for. Because, he's me.”** _

_Sora will find a way to wake you up, Ventus. I know he will. All it takes...is a connection..._

Lea took the WINNER ice cream stick out of the white envelope and stared at it for a while.

_Isa, please. Wait for me just a little longer, okay? I will bring you back. No matter how many times you leave. No matter how long it takes. I promised you, didn't I?_

* * *

Lea wandered the Tram Common of Twilight Town, an entirely new world. It was so different from his home world, but it had a similarly serene atmosphere. Yet he had no time to marvel at the new scenery. He had important business here.

_This place. It really is another world, isn't it? I wonder if Isa was really brought here._

He wandered around until he passed by the slightly crowded shopping district. He saw a few small children walk past the Sweets Shop with a familiar treat in hand—blue bars of sea-salt ice cream.

_Even here, they sell that ice cream!? What does this mean? Maybe someone from Radiant Garden really came here, after all..._

Lea spent time walking through the town, asking the shopkeepers for any clues to aid him in his search. But he wasn't having much luck. When he made his way to the Sandlot, he noticed a group of kids playing ball and decided to ask them.

_Maybe if I ask kids close to my own age..._

“Hey, can I ask you guys something?”

“What's up?” asked a young girl.

“I'm looking for my friend. Have you seen a kid my age? He's got blue hair and he'd be wearing a blue jacket.”

The kids all looked at each other. “No, I haven't seen anyone like that.”

“Yeah, that doesn't sound like anyone in our class. Sorry.”

Lea sighed to himself. “Well, have you seen anything, I dunno, suspicious around here lately?”

“Suspicious?” They all stared at each other again. “Oh, are you talking about the Seven Wonders of Twilight Town?”

“Uh, yeah.” _I guess?_ “Can you tell me about 'em?”

* * *

Lea was waiting for the train to arrive so he could go to Sunset Station. He figured he might as well investigate these Seven Wonders, since he had no other leads to go off. While waiting for the train, he decided to head inside the station to look around. On the notice board, he saw a poster.

 _“The Seaside Festival is here”. Hm._ _Sounds kinda nice. Too bad I don’t have time to be worrying about a vacation right now._

A few minutes passed and the train still hadn’t arrived. Lea was getting bored, so he decided to take the stairway up to the top of the station. He probably wasn't supposed to go up there, but he figured it would give him a better view of the town.

_Wow, you really can see everything from up here. Maybe I'll be able to spot Isa._

Lea waited a while, but he saw no sign of his friend. He stretched and yawned when the clock tower bells rang. It was time to go.

After getting off at Sunset Station, Lea found himself in a quiet residential neighborhood. He made his way to the top of a hill at a local park that was renowned for having the best view of the sunset in the entire town. It was aptly named Sunset Hill.

Lea plopped down on a bench near the terrace, giving him a nice view of the town's train tracks.

_Ghost Train, huh?_

He waited patiently for several hours, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary. After a while, it was hard to keep his eyes open.

_“No driver, no passengers, no conductor...no escape.”_

He sat slumped over and let out a sad chuckle.

_Sounds kinda like my life. Stuck on these rails and having absolutely no idea where I'm going._

He sighed. “This stupid Ghost Train probably doesn't even exist.”

Lea waited another half hour, then the sun began to set.

_These Seven Wonders are really not very helpful. Of course, what did I expect from a bunch of rumors spread by kids in a sleepy little town like this? This is probably hopeless._

Just when Lea was starting to give up, someone else arrived on the hill. A middle-aged man. He wore a light green shirt, and had his brown hair tied back in a ponytail, with long bangs swept over one side of his face. He had a few wrinkles and his hair was graying somewhat. He greeted Lea in a friendly manner. “Hey there. Not too often I see young kids like you up here on the hill. Most of you guys are down there playing ball. It’s mainly old retired couples who like to hang out up here. You here to watch the sunset, too?”

 _Sunset?_ “Nah, not really. Guess I just have nowhere else to be anymore. Or anyone to be with,” Lea flatly replied, staring off into the distance.

“You look so down. You're young. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you. Be happy.”

 _Man, who is this weird guy? Why's he telling me all this? The last thing I need right now is a lecture from a complete stranger. He doesn't even know me. He should just mind his own business._ “Well, I would be. If I had anything to be happy about.” Lea didn’t really care if this man thought he sounded rude.

“You're too young to be talkin' that way. Now, if you were an old man like myself, then maybe you'd have an excuse,” the man said while laughing. He was trying to cheer Lea up, to the best of his ability.

Lea didn't respond to him, though. He just kept staring off into space.

“When I was young, I used to live one crazy life. Due to my job, I was always on the move. Then I met the most amazing woman and did something I never thought was possible. I settled down here, in this quiet little place.” He was silent for a bit before he continued. “Then...my wife passed away.”

Lea's expression immediately softened as he finally looked over at the man.

“We would always come here together. I proposed to her right on this very hill. It's one of my fondest memories.” The man was looking over the terrace. He was smiling, but his eyes looked a bit sad.

Lea still didn't say anything, but was intently listening to every word the man said.

“You know, they say that the sunset here looks even more beautiful when you're watching it with someone you love.” He looked down at his wedding band. “Love is really somethin’. Has the power to make us do all sorts of crazy things.” He looked over at Lea. “One day, you’ll find someone you love. And when you do, make sure you treasure them. You never know when you might lose them. Take it from an old man like myself.” It seemed like the man was under the impression that Lea was having typical teenage relationship troubles and needed some encouragement.

“Maybe you're right. I think I might have given up too easily.”

The man smiled.

Lea stood up from the bench. “I gotta go. There's something I need to do.” 

“Then, off you go.”

Lea was just about to make his way back to the station.

“Wait!” the man called.

Lea turned around.

“If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm always here. Name's Laguna.”

“Thanks, Laguna. I'm Lea. I'll see you around.” Lea smiled and waved at the man, then sprinted back towards the station.

* * *

After another train ride, Lea found himself back in town, near the shopping district. The Seventh Wonder was an abandoned mansion deep in the woods. To get to the mansion, the local kids recommended a shortcut through the sewers.

_Ugh. This is frickin’ disgusting. I swear, I simply cannot catch a break lately, can I?_

“Heh.” Lea smirked a bit while looking at the grime covering his shoes.

_Yeah, it’s powerful, all right. Makes us do all sorts of crazy things._

He waded through the trash until finally, he resurfaced in the woods. After walking for a few minutes he found what he was looking for: a large mansion said to be frequented by strange visitors.

“Well, this is it. Looks pretty abandoned, I'd say. Wonder if anyone's in there.”

He walked up to the gate, which was ajar. In the backyard he could peer into the mansion through the glass door. “I don't see anyone. But I guess I'll find out for sure once I'm in.”

The mansion seemed unoccupied, but Lea wasn't about to wait around to know for sure. He gave the rusty door a good hard kick and was able to open it without too much difficulty. “Huh. That was easier than I thought.”

When he stepped inside, the mansion's foyer reminded him of the castle somewhat, which made him uncomfortable. It had a classical design and there were paintings and suits of armor situated throughout. It was dusty, but it was unclear how long it had been abandoned. “What's with all these unicorns? Weird.”

Lea opened the door to the dining room. There was a clock on the wall with a skull face and bones for the hour and minute hands. “Charming...” A crescent moon decoration was sitting on one of the shelves. It reminded him of Isa. There was nothing else of interest in this room, so Lea moved on.

He walked upstairs and entered one of the rooms. It was nothing but an empty bedroom with a curtain over the window. “Ugh. What a drag.”

When he opened the other door on the second floor, he found himself in a library, similar to the one inside of the castle. However, what really stood out was the staricase leading into the basement, which looked almost like a laboratory. “Whoa! Okay, this is bizarre. They're definitely hiding something here.”

Before Lea went into the basement, he picked up a document that was lying on the table.

**Experiments of the Heart**

_“Subject was found in the castle basement shortly after dawn. Male, approximately fifteen years old. After seven days' observation, he spoke his first words, but could not provide a name. Subject exhibits signs of profound amnesia. His words suggest that he was abducted with another person, though he cannot recall the name of his erstwhile companion._ _All efforts to explore those memories have met with a rejection response._

_After my initial experiments on Xehanort, I ceased my research into the heart, my hand stayed by some fear I cannot fathom. Yet this new subject is like him: devoid of memories. He is the perfect sample upon which to continue my original work. Though my research was the cause of his malady, he stands to benefit from it; by traversing the heart, we have a direct path into memory._

_As a scientist and as a human being, I cannot ignore this situation. I must atone for my sins before even more lives have been ruined. I must help this boy.”_ — **Ansem**

Lea put down the document.

_Ansem wrote this!? This can’t be about...Isa? Can it? Ansem brought him here to help him? Then, who were those other guys that were experimenting on us? What is going on?_

Lea had no answers. He was a bit nervous, but wasted no time heading down the stairs to the basement. When he entered the doorway, he had his suspicions confirmed.

“It really _is_ a laboratory. What does this mean?”

He looked up at the large computer terminal, which, once again, reminded him of the one inside of the castle. Then he walked past the basement's hallway into the corridor. And that was when he saw it—the long row of flower-shaped pods. They showed some signs of previous use.

Lea placed his hand on one of the pods. “Man, this is so weird.”

He mustered his courage and kept walking into the next room. There was only a single pod in this room. Lea could see through it just a tiny bit, and noticed the faint traces of someone still inside. He quickly darted over to the pod to get a closer look.

_No way. It can't be. It...it is! It's him!_

“Isa!”

Lea struggled to open the pod with his hands and kicked it a few times, but quickly realized that wasn't going to work.

“Ugh, dammit! It's no use!”

He looked around and noticed a display terminal next to the pod.

“Okay, calm down, calm down. Maybe this will work.”

He pressed a few buttons, trying to figure out some way to open the pod. He wasn't having any luck and was beginning to lose his patience.

“Stupid piece of junk!” he cried as he pounded his fist on the terminal. He immediately regretted that decision, and began to clutch his head in a panic. _Oh, no. Did I break it?_ “Ugh, I'm so stupid!”

Surprisingly, however, that actually worked. The pod slowly opened, revealing the person sleeping inside. Lea quickly made his way inside the pod and caught Isa, who was still sound asleep, in his arms. 

“Are you all right!? Isa! Wake up!” But Lea was unable to wake his friend.

The first thing he noticed was the giant X-shaped scar covering almost all of Isa's face. He gently touched Isa's face with the tips of his fingers. Intense anger welled up inside of him. _Isa. What did they do to you?_

Lea shook his friend, but he still didn’t wake up. “I don't have time for this. We've gotta get out of here before someone comes back.”

* * *

Lea carried Isa on his back out of the mansion and made his way back to town. Hoping to catch his breath, he stopped in the back alley. He found a nice little hideaway underneath the railroad tracks. The constant sound of trains could be heard above.

Lea gently sat down Isa down, leaning his back against the wall, then collapsed onto the ground himself. He glanced over at Isa.

_Isa's still asleep. I wonder how long it'll be before he wakes up._

Lea had trouble keeping his eyes open.

_I'm so exhausted. I really think I need a nap._

It didn't take long before Lea fell asleep. When he woke up, he was greeted with a surprise. Isa's eyes were open.

“Oh, you're awake!” He rushed over to him. “Are you okay!?”

But he didn't get a response. “Hey, c'mon, say something.” He grabbed Isa by the shoulder and began to shake him. “Please...”

Nothing. Isa was completely still and expressionless, like a zombie. Strangely, his eyes were gold, like Braig's. Those lifeless golden eyes were staring at the ground.

Lea felt a lump in his throat. He hung his head and his shoulders began to tremble. _So, what? Is he going to stay like this?_

He raised his head and took one more look at Isa.

_No. I can't allow myself to think like that. I just have to keep moving forward. One step at a time. First things first, I need to figure out somewhere to stay for the night. I'd rather not stick around here where there are so many people. Maybe I should try to find that Laguna guy._

Lea took Isa by the hand.

“Let’s see. Can you stand?”

Surprisingly, Isa stood up in response to Lea, but still showed no signs of self-awareness.

“Okay? So, I guess you can...understand me?”

Lea took Isa by the hand and led him to Station Heights, where they boarded the train bound for Sunset Station. While on the train, Lea and Isa sat next to each other in total silence, except for the clanking sound of the train against the tracks. Lea struggled to stay awake the entire time.

Finally, they arrived at their stop and made the long trek back to the top of the hill.

_It's almost dusk. There's nobody here. It's a pretty quiet area. So, I think we should be safe here._

Lea sat Isa down on the bench near the terrace. “Here we go. You go ahead and take a load off, okay?”

Lea leaned over the terrace and stared blankly at the train tracks. _Sheesh, what a day._ _Wonder what I’m gonna do now.  
_

After a little while, he turned around and noticed that Isa was lying down on the bench, fast asleep.

 _I guess he was still tired, even though he was sleeping inside that pod. I don't know how long he was sleeping in there. And I still have no idea what's wrong with him. It's like his_...mind _was put to sleep, too._

Lea sighed heavily.

_Speaking of sleep, I should probably get some myself._

Lea took off his black cloak and covered Isa up with it. Then he plopped himself down on the ground beside the bench.

_Today...I think I’ll sleep okay for once._

Lea finally fell asleep under the gentle warmth of the setting sun.


	11. Day 2: Sunset Shore

Lea stretched and yawned as he sat back and watched the sunset with Kairi. “We've made a lot of progress, huh? Feels like we've been at it forever now.” _I wonder how much time has passed in the real world._

“Well, _somebody_ looks like they could use a break.”

“Yeah. Things have been so crazy lately. Oh, here. I asked Merlin to get us some.” Lea handed Kairi a bar of ice cream.

 _Lea sure loves ice cream._ “Thanks.”

Lea sat in his usual spot lost in thought. _Sitting with Kairi, eating ice cream, and watching the sunset after a hard day’s work. This feels familiar somehow. But I’m not really sure why._

Kairi noticed that he was staring at her. “Hm? Something wrong, Lea?”

“Uh, no. It’s nothing.” Lea looked away and tried to change the subject. “Man. I could use a nice long vacation once all this Keyblade War business is done. I'm exhausted.”

“Hee hee. I think we all could use one.” There were a few moments of silence before she spoke up again. “Hey, I have an idea.”

“What's up?”

She took her lucky charm out of her pocket and stared at it. “Why don't we all go to the beach when this is over? Then we could all have a vacation together.” 

“The beach, huh?” Lea gazed out over the horizon while taking a bite out of his ice cream. The bright sunlight made his eyes squint. _The beach. We never did get to go, did we?_

“Yeah. See this charm? It’s supposed to help people find each other if they ever get separated. I intended it to be for me, Sora, and Riku.” She closed her eyes and held the charm close to her heart. “The three of us would always be together.”

Kairi’s words made Lea feel a bit lonely, though he didn’t let it show. _A promise between best friends to meet each other again. To always be together._ He felt his chest tighten. After finishing his ice cream, he looked down at the empty stick. There was nothing.

“The charm really worked. Me, Sora, and Riku got to go home together.” She looked up at Lea. “But this time, I want everyone to be there. After everything that’s happened, I'm sure they'd all be happy to have a vacation.”

“Yeah. I’m sure they’d have a lot of fun,” Lea said softly. He was staring off into the distance with a nostalgic expression.

“You know, we should invite Hayner, Pence, and Olette, too. I heard them saying that they were saving up to go to the beach.”

“Hm? Those three kids from Twilight Town?”

“Yeah. They’re my friends, too. I haven’t had a chance to visit them, though, with everything that’s happened.”

“Oh, that’s right. You’ve been to Twilight Town before. After I—” He suddenly became awkward. “I’m really sorry about that, Kairi.”

“Lea!” she said, exasperated.

“I know, I know.” He scratched the back of his head. “Man, I kidnapped you right in front of those three kids. They must have been really worried.”

“Sora told me they felt awful. They were looking everywhere for me.” 

“Sheesh. Looks like I’m gonna have to apologize to them, too. I hope they don’t hate me...” Lea looked a bit shy for a moment.

“Don’t worry. I’ll put in a good word for you,” she said while winking at him. “Also, from what I saw, they loved sea-salt ice cream as much as you do. Maybe they can be... _persuaded_.”

Lea laughed. “Ya know, those three were Roxas's best friends.”

“They...were?” _What does he mean?_

“Yeah. In the data Twilight Town. But I don’t think the real versions of them even knew Roxas. That world was created from Roxas's memories. I never realized it, but, he must have noticed those three kids out playing. I guess...he just wanted to be a normal kid, like them.” Lea looked a bit sad.

“Hm. Maybe it was Roxas then...”

“What are you talking about?”

“When I first arrived in Twilight Town, I told those three I was looking for Sora. They told me they felt like they had met him before. It was strange. When he left, they felt so sad for some reason. Like, something was missing. It reminded me of the way I felt when I forgot Sora. I couldn’t remember him, but...I knew I was forgetting something important.”

“Forgetting something...important.” Lea seemed lost in thought for a moment. “You think they actually remembered Roxas? But how?”

“Even and Ienzo told me that the heart is connected to memory. Important memories never truly fade away. They stay inside your heart, even if you forget. By probing the depths of someone’s heart, you can restore their memory. But, memories can be awakened naturally, too. As long as there’s the correct spark, your heart can remember things your mind has forgotten.”

Lea stared at Kairi again. _Funny. When I sit here with her, I kind of feel like that, too._

“Maybe meeting Sora helped them remember something. Even though Roxas was friends with them in the data world, their hearts still felt the connection.”  
  
“Hm. Kinda reminds me of what Naminé told me.”

“Naminé?”

“Yeah. When I went to Castle Oblivion. She said Nobodies are at the mercy of their memories. And that memories might awaken something similar in the Riku Replica. But she never finished what she was going to say. I think she was talking about the heart.”

Lea thought back to his time in Castle Oblivion. After returning from there, everything changed.

_**“You’ll just have to give some more thought to who it is that’s…most important to you. Our most precious memories lie so deep within our hearts that they’re out of reach. But I’m sure that you can find yours, Sora.”** _

_Maybe...the same thing happened to me. I had forgotten something important. When I went to Castle Oblivion, I remembered. I remembered why I decided to join Organization XIII. Seeing Sora fight so hard to protect Naminé. It reminded me of who was most important to me. And how...he changed. I remembered the person he used to be. And...how I felt about him..._

_**“But be forewarned… When your sleeping memories awaken, you may no longer be who you are now.”** _

_Maybe Nobodies really did have hearts all along. They were just...asleep. When we remember certain things, our hearts wake up._

Lea thought back to a conversation he had with Naminé, after Roxas went back to Sora and he became a fugitive of the organization. She decided to follow him.

_**“You seemed lonely.”** _

_**“Lonely? Me, a Nobody,** _ **lonely** _ **? That doesn’t even make sense!”** _

_**“You know, Axel… I wonder if we really do have hearts after all.”** _

_It’s true. I was lonely. And Naminé. She was lonely, too._ “Naminé thought that we Nobodies did have hearts. I thought it was crazy at the time, but now, I think she was right.” 

_Lea. You came to rescue me after I was kidnapped. You fought your best friend for my sake. I know you had a heart._ “I think she was right, too.” 

Lea looked at her, grinning. “Well, she _was_ your Nobody, after all.”

Kairi was smiling brightly up at Lea. “You know, you can bring Isa to the beach, too.”

Lea was a bit taken aback by her suggestion. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “That sounds...really nice.” In that moment, his mind was taken back to the past. To a very precious memory from long ago. This memory only returned to him recently after his trip to Castle Oblivion. It had nearly been forgotten, but it didn’t completely disappear. It was sleeping so deep within his heart, it was nearly out of reach.

Lea stared at the vivid sunset. It was a warm shade of red.

* * *

The train arrived at the Station Plaza. Lea took Isa by the hand and the two walked off and exited the train. Then they went up to the top of the clock tower. Lea had taken a liking to that spot. It was his own little hideaway. No one ever bothered him up there.

“Finally. Ugh. I'm exhausted.” Lea plopped down on the ledge.

Following his lead, Isa silently sat down beside him and stared blankly.

The plaza was empty. Everything was still and quiet. Lea could hear the sound of sea gulls cawing. The clock tower's bells chimed the hour, signifying the end of another day.

_I wonder how everything is gonna be from now on. What am I going to do?_

After a few minutes of silence, Lea glanced over at Isa, still as expressionless as ever. “Things have been pretty crazy lately, haven't they? Luckily, Laguna decided to let us stay at his inn. No more sleeping outside, at least for now, anyway. Doesn't hurt to have extra pocket munny, though.” He spent the entire day doing odd jobs around town to make munny. He took Isa with him so he wouldn't be left alone.

For the entire day, Isa didn't respond to anything Lea said and Lea didn't expect him to. He wasn't sure if he would ever respond to him again. Yesterday, the very thought made his chest tighten with worry. But strangely, today, all he felt was a sense of peace and tranquility.

It wasn't awkward sitting in silence with Isa. With anyone else, it would be suffocating. But with him, it seemed like everything would be fine, no matter what. Even with no words being exchanged.

_It doesn't matter if Isa talks to me or not. All that matters is that he's right there, sitting beside me, safe and sound. Just being able to feel his presence...that's enough. As long as he's here with me, everything will be okay. Because he's my best friend._

Lea smiled gently at Isa. “Don't worry. I'll always take care of you, Isa. No matter what, I'll work really, _really_ hard and make enough munny for us both to have everything we need.”

It felt kind of relaxing talking to Isa like this. Lea knew he probably wasn't aware of what he was saying. But just thinking out loud, voicing his thoughts to another person; it felt nice. He could say whatever he wanted to, without holding anything back.

“Now that I think about it, I guess this what adulthood feels like, huh?”

The whistle of a faraway train could be heard in the distance.

“You know what? It’s scary. To tell you the truth, I never wanted to be an adult. When you're an adult, things always change. You barely have any time to have fun. You don't have the freedom to do whatever you want anymore.”

His eyes narrowed as he gazed up at the sky vacantly. It was a bright red tapestry of clouds. The entire city could be seen from this clock tower and it was painted with the same hue. 

“And...worst of all, when people grow up...they grow apart. Everyone usually goes off to live their own lives. You don't get to spend every day with your friends any more. Eventually...they forget all about each other.”

Lea grimaced for a moment, then looked over at Isa once again.

“But it's all right. I can handle growing up. 'Cause I'll always have you here with me. The thought of losing you was a lot more scary than being an adult.”

He thought back to the dark corridor he had to walk through to get to Twilight Town.

“After what I’ve been through lately, nothing really scares me now. Guess that makes me all mature now, huh? Heh. Kinda hard to believe, right? I'm sure you'd be making fun of me right now if you could actually hear me.”

After pouring his heart out, Lea leaned back and put his hands behind his head. He could feel the gentle warmth of the sunset on his face. He found his gaze being drawn to that sunset. It was so beautiful. It made everything in that moment feel so vivid and full of life. 

“Ya know, maybe Laguna was right. The sunset in this town really _is_ something else. It...makes everything look red, ya know? I wonder why that is. Why the sunset is red...” Lea absentmindedly murmured to himself as he reclined.

That was when he heard a voice.

“It's because light is made up of lots of colors. And out of all those colors, red is the one that travels the farthest.”

Lea jolted up from his relaxed position and looked over at the owner of the voice that responded to him. It was...Isa! Lea stared at him in disbelief. He didn't even know what to say. “Isa, you...how did...” He couldn't help but fumble over his words. “Th-that was incredible!”

Isa noticed Lea's strong reaction and stared at him for a few seconds. Then he gave him a simple response. “That was nothing.” He said it so calmly and matter-of-factly, he sounded confused.

At that moment, Lea began to chuckle loudly. His laughter soon filled the air and echoed throughout the station. All the tension Lea had been feeling melted away instantly. He couldn't stop laughing as his chest swelled with happiness. He felt like it was about to burst.

 _Isa. That freakin’ Know-It-All. It’s just like him to_ _brag about knowing some stupid random bit of trivia like that. He...hasn't changed a bit._

Lea wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

_I don't have a lot of munny, but I promised Isa that I would get him an ice cream once we escaped. So that's exactly what I'm gonna do._

Lea stuck his hand in his pocket, dug out a little bit of the munny he had earned, and counted it. 200 munny.

“All right, smart aleck. That was pretty impressive. For that, you deserve a little something extra. Wait here, I'll be right back.”

Isa watched as Lea raced down the stairs and darted off in the direction of the Tram Common. A few minutes later, he returned from the Sweets Shop with a sea-salt ice cream in hand and handed it to Isa.

“Here ya go. You _definitely_ earned it.”

Isa looked at the ice cream for a few moments. It seemed like he had never seen one before. He slowly took a bite out of it. “It's...salty.”

“But sweet, right!?” Lea happily chimed in.

At that, Isa shyly smiled, just a little bit.

With that smile, Lea felt like nothing else in the world mattered. _Yeah...Everything is okay. I can handle anything, as long as we're together._

While Isa was slowly eating his ice cream, Lea looked at the profile of his face. He was gazing at the sunset, his features enveloped in a warm crimson glow. It almost looked as though he had a red aura. Everything in that moment looked so beautiful. Lea knew without a doubt that he would never forget this day.

_I wish this moment could last forever._

* * *

The two continued to watch the sunset. They were in no rush. They had no home to go back to, after all. But, at least they had somewhere to stay, if only temporarily. Lea sat silently and let Isa finish his ice cream, which took an abnormally long time. It was almost dusk.

 _He still seems pretty out of it._ “So, uh, Isa. How are you feeling? You okay now?”

Isa blinked and stared off into space. “Is that...my name? I...sa...?”

Lea's face contorted into a frown. “You...don't know your name?”

Isa slowly shook his head. “No...”

 _So, it’s true. He's got amnesia._ “Well, uh... do you...remember _anything_?” Lea asked, with just a bit of trepidation. He wasn't sure how to broach such a delicate subject.

Isa glanced downward, appearing to be lost in thought. He shook his head again. “I...just remember being inside some dark room. Then...the man with the eyepatch came. And—”

Isa suddenly gasped in terror. He clutched his forehead and appeared to be in pain.

Lea grabbed onto his arm so he wouldn’t fall. “Hey! Are you all right!?”

It took a few minutes, but Isa eventually calmed down.

 _An eyepatch. Braig. He’s the one who hurt Isa_. Lea wasn't sure if his face was revealing how he felt or not. He didn't want Isa to worry, so he tried his best to not let it show. But he was feeling a mixture of shock, anger, and sadness. Reluctantly, he asked, “So, um. Do you know who I am?”

Isa looked at him blankly. “No.”

 _He...doesn’t even remember me._ Lea turned his head, hiding his pained expression.

 _“_ I don't remember anything. I...don't even know who I am...”

 _What do I even say to that? Do I tell him the truth? How much? I don't want to say anything that could bring back any_ _bad memories. But, of course, he's gonna wanna know who he is._ “Well, I can help you out there.” Lea put on a beaming smile. “My name is Lea. Your name is Isa. And you're my...best friend.” _I don't really know what I should say..._

Isa's face lit up upon hearing that. “Really?” He said it with all the innocence of a small child.

Lea nodded. “We’re best friends.” He was still feeling anxious.

Suddenly, Isa looked downcast. “I wish...I could remember you. I'm sorry.” 

“Hey come on, you don't need to apologize for that. It's not your fault.” Lea put his hand on Isa's shoulder. “A lot of...stuff happened. And you lost your memories.” _I don't know if I'm making any sense to him._ “But it's okay.” He looked right into Isa's eyes. “Because I'm here for you. Got it memorized?” _Er, maybe that was the wrong time to say that._

After using his catchphrase, Isa felt a bit more at ease. “Do you...think I'll _ever_ remember?” he asked completely in earnest. He was a little concerned with what Lea's answer might be. If he never regained his memory, would Lea still be want to be his friend? The thought scared him.

 _With everything he's been through, it's probably better if he_ doesn't _remember._ Lea's eyes narrowed at the thought. He sighed and looked up at the sunset. _I finally found him. He's alive and able to talk to me._ _Memories or no memories, he's still my best friend. That's all that matters._ “I really don't know.”

That was the truth. Lea had no clue if his memories would ever return or not. He somehow doubted it, given the severity of the trauma he had been through. He thought it was probably a miracle that Isa was even talking to him like this.

“Oh...” Isa answered in a small voice.

Things were silent for a few seconds.

 _Isa. He might...never remember me._ Lea looked over at Isa, smiling. “Even if you never remember, it'll be all right.”

That wasn't the answer that Isa was expecting to hear.

“I mean, you may not have the past, but you've got the present. Right?”

“The present...?”

“Yeah! And you’ve got a best friend! So what if you don't remember your past?” Lea stood up on the ledge. “We can just...create new memories.”

Having a best friend? Creating new memories? That didn't seem so bad. Isa had a look of relief on his face. 

“C'mon? Whaddaya say?”

“All right.”

“Then it's decided. From now on, we’re gonna make up for all the memories you've lost. So. Let's make it something to remember.”

“Like what?”

Lea thought back to the train station. That poster mentioned the Seaside Festival. The beach. It was the perfect way to start making memories. “Oh, I know! Let's go to the beach!” He was practically shouting.

Isa was slightly startled, but he smiled at Lea's enthusiastic outburst.

“There's this festival they're having soon. If we save up some munny, we'll be able to afford to go. It'll be our own little vacation. And boy, could I use a vacation.” Lea crouched down until he was at eye level with the seated Isa. “For you, it'll be like your first time there. You'll definitely have a blast. Trust me.”

It did sound fun. Isa was excited. He nodded. “Yeah. That sounds nice.”

“All right. As soon as I manage to get enough munny, I’ll take you to the beach. I promise.”


	12. Day 3: Inseparable

It was another morning in the secret forest. Kairi and Lea were sitting at the table in the large cottage, preparing to eat breakfast. Then, Merlin walked in the door.

“Good morning, Merlin,” Kairi said while adding sugar to her tea.

“So, uh, what's in those boxes?” Lea asked while yawning. He was still half-asleep.

Merlin was levitating two large white boxes using his wand. “A new bistro has opened in Twilight Town. The food is quite delicious. Oh, and the tea is excellent, too. The little chef wanted you both to have these.”

Using his wand, Merlin placed the boxes on the table. Kairi and Lea raised the lids on their boxes, revealing the contents. Two large fruit cakes.

Kairi clasped her hands together. “Oh, wow! That looks delicious!” 

Lea had a big smile. “Hmm. Dessert for breakfast, huh?”

“Enjoy, you two.” While Lea and Kairi began to dig in, Merlin sat down at the table and began wiping his glasses. Then he took a large book out of his bag and began staring at it.

Kairi noticed the worried expression on his face. “Something wrong, Merlin?”

“Oh, nothing you need trouble yourself with, my dear. This is something the young Sora will have to deal with.”

 _Sora?_ “So, what’s that book?” she asked.

Merlin put the book on the table for his two apprentices to see. “This is a children's storybook called 'Winnie the Pooh'.” He pointed to a yellow bear on the cover. “Sora is good friends with Pooh and the other denizens of the world within this book. Recently though, it appears that Sora’s image has disappeared from the book's cover. Quite the mystery.” He began to stroke his beard.

This made Lea mildly curious. “What coulda caused something like that?”

“Well, I'm not entirely certain. I plan to have Sora look into it. When he has time, of course. For now, I can only speculate. But perhaps...it is just the natural process of growing up.”

Lea and Kairi exchanged a glance.

 _Growing up?_ “What do you mean?” Lea looked genuinely concerned now.

“Well, you see, Sora has been growing up rather quickly lately. When I first met him, he was just a lad. Now, he has grown into quite the fine young man, wouldn't you say?”

 _I guess so_ , Lea thought. _I remember when I first met him in Castle Oblivion. He's grown up a lot since then. Riku, too. But I don't see what that has to do with Sora disappearing from the book's cover._

Kairi also looked a bit lost. “So...Sora growing older affected his relationship with Pooh?”

“Indeed. It's only natural that the bonds formed when one is a child change as one becomes older. When Sora first entered the book, why, he and Pooh were quite close. Inseparable, you might say. I know Pooh wanted Sora to stay in that world with him forever. Of course, such a thing is not possible. Sora can't very well live inside of a book when he has so much work to do, ohohoho.”

Lea's expression darkened. “So, you're saying that the bonds you have with your friends fall apart once you become an adult? Is that it?” His tone was filled with bitterness.

 _Oh my, I seemed to have touched a nerve, haven't I?_ “Oh, no, no, lad. The bond between hearts doesn't distinguish between young and old. We adults just tend to forget that a bit more easily than children. What's lost can _always_ be found again. Even when they’re apart, Pooh will always be right there in Sora's heart. He may be growing up, but he hasn't changed.”

With Merlin's reassurance, Lea's expression softened up.

“That’s because he spent an entire year asleep!” Kairi joked.

“Ah, yes. As Cid would say, he was being kept in cold storage!”

 _That’s right. Sora was asleep for a whole year._ “Hey Merlin.”

“Yes. What is it lad?”

“Ventus is asleep in Sora’s heart, right? His body is asleep inside the Chamber of Waking. And Terra and Aqua are asleep, too.”

“Correct.”

“But when they wake up, they’ll be exactly like they were when they fell asleep, right?”

“Yes, exactly. The Realm of Sleep is similar to this world. Real time does not flow. Of course, here we are conscious. We experience time. We grow from our experiences and change. When one returns from here to the Realm of Light, it is as if no time has passed. In the Realm of Sleep, it is the opposite. One is not conscious there. Though many years may have passed in the Realm of Light, for those in the Realm of Sleep, it is as if none has passed at all. When one returns, they are exactly the same as when they entered.”

 _So, if Isa’s heart wakes up, then he’ll be just like I remember him. Nothing will have changed. He’ll be...exactly the same as before he became a Nobody._ Lea looked down at his cake. _He_... _always did love desserts. I’d like to take him to that new bistro someday._ “So, Sora will be able to use the power of waking? Even though he failed his Mark of Mastery exam?”

“Yes, I believe so. Sora is a special lad. His connection to others is the key. That is why Ansem entrusted his research results to him and why Ventus chose his heart to take refuge in. You see, using the power of waking is dangerous. One risks being lost in the darkness when they dive into another’s heart. The heart can be a perilous place. That’s why Master Yen Sid had Riku and Sora take their test in the Sleeping Worlds. It was necessary practice. But that was just a precaution. In truth, everyone has the potential to use the power of waking. It’s not a superhuman ability. All it takes is deeply connecting to another person’s heart. Of course, in a way, such a thing _is_ a superhuman ability, I suppose. But you yourself have already shown that ability, Kairi.”

“Me? Really?”

“Yes. When you saved Sora after he became a Heartless.”

Lea looked over at Kairi. _I always was fascinated by Sora. He held onto his feelings, even as a Heartless. The only other man to do that was...Xehanort. But maybe Kairi is the_ real _special one._

Kairi took out her lucky charm and stared at it. She thought back to the day Sora became a Heartless.

**_“I heard your voice. The light within the darkness. When I turned into a Heartless, you saved me, remember? I was lost in the darkness. I couldn’t find my way. As I stumbled through the dark, I started forgetting things—my friends, who I was. The darkness almost swallowed me. But then I heard a voice—your voice. You brought me back.”_ **

**_“I didn’t want to just forget about you, Sora. I couldn’t.”_ **

**_“That’s it! Our hearts are connected. And the light from our hearts broke through the darkness. I saw that light. I think that’s what saved me. No matter how deep the darkness, a light shines within. I guess it’s more than just a fairy tale.”_ **

Lea also stared at Kairi’s lucky charm. He knew exactly what it meant. He had been able to view some of Sora’s memories in Castle Oblivion. ****

“Did I really do something special? I just...believed in Sora. Then, he changed back.”

“Yes! You see, my dear, that _is_ the power of waking. The edges of sleep and death touch. When one’s heart is in the Realm of Sleep for too long, the body will eventually perish. That is, unless there is some powerful attachment keeping them tethered to the Realm of Light. Someone who won’t let them go. If that happens, they hover in the space between life and death. They linger in timeless limbo. But, unlike the dead, they can be brought back. Just like you brought Sora back.”

Kairi smiled as she glanced down at her lucky charm. _When I gave you this lucky charm, Sora, I couldn’t go with you. I wasn’t strong enough back then. But this time, I’ll be the one to keep you safe. I promise._

Lea rested his face in the palm of his hand, lost in thought. He remembered Sora and Kairi’s promise to each other. The words were etched in his heart.

**_“Kairi, even if we’re apart, we’re not alone anymore. Right?”_ **

**_“Don’t ever forget. Wherever you go, I’m always with you.”_ **

_I’ll do it. I’ll save Isa. I’ll use the power of waking on him. There’s nobody else who can. I know I’m the only one who’ll be able to connect with his heart. I may not be a Keyblade master or anything. But I know I have the power to save him._ A large grin formed on his face. “You're a pretty wise old geezer, aren't you, Merlin?”

“Why, you! I thought I told you not to call me old!? Sounds like you're the one who still has some growing up to do!”

Listening to the two bicker, Kairi giggled.

Lea took a large bite of his fruit cake. _Maybe...I_ can _start over. I can go back to being the person I used to be, too._ _I can start looking forward to the future again._ He looked over at Kairi, who was also eating her cake. _I'm a lot different than how I used to be. It's all thanks to meeting these kids._

* * *

Lea was in a really good mood today. His energy was starting to come back and he finally felt like his old self again.

“Hey! Lea! Quit going so fast! I can barely keep up with you!” Isa shouted while trying to catch his breath.

Lea turned around and saw him bent over. “Oh, sorry about that!” He was apologetic, but began running again after a little bit. He didn’t even realize how fast he was going.

 _Geez. Is he always like this?_ “Ugh! Slow down! And watch where you’re going!”

Lea didn’t seem to hear Isa’s complaining and almost ran in front of the train tunnel without looking.

“Lea! Look out!”

“Whoa!” Lea stopped just before the tram came out of the tunnel. He fell onto his backside and dropped all the letters he had been carrying.

“Are you all right!?”

“Yeah,” he said as Isa helped him onto his feet. “Hey, thanks, man.”

 _He’s not taking it seriously at all._ Isa had his hands on hips. He looked annoyed. “See? What did I just tell you? You could have been run over by that tram all because you didn’t listen to me.”

“You’re right, you’re right. Sorry. But, man. You totally saved my ass.” Lea looked at him with a big grin.

Isa rolled his eyes. “Ugh, whatever. I’m just glad we’re almost done. After we finish up, we can relax and get some more of that ice cream.”

 _He seems like he’s more of his old self today._ Lea laughed and began to tease Isa. “Man, all you ever like to do is hang out and eat ice cream. Like an old retired granny. You belong at the top of that hill.”

“Shut it.” Isa smiled.

“Hey, lately, that’s all I wanna do, too. I’m just as much of lazy ass.” Lea took the list out of his pocket. “All right. Just one more job, then we’re done for the day. Once we finish delivering the rest of these letters, we just have to put up some posters. Easy.”

“Then how about you finish delivering the letters, and I get started on the other job? I’m sure we’ll be done in no time. Then we can meet at the Sweets Shop when we’re both done.”

“By yourself? I dunno...I think we should finish the jobs together...” Lea responded hesitantly.

“Come on, Lea. I know I don’t have any memories, but I’m not a little kid. You don't need to help me do _everything_. I can handle something simple like putting up a few posters.”

Lea felt embarrassed after being called out like that. _Do I really worry too much? I’m not trying to baby him. I just don't want to leave him alone. So much has happened lately._ “I-I just...I didn't want to...”

“I didn’t mean it like _that_. I appreciate you helping me. I just don't wanna be a burden on you, that's all. I wanna help you get the job done faster.”

 _He has been doing a lot better today. Maybe it’s okay to give him some more independence. When he was learning to fight, I hovered around him trying to do everything for him. I was just worried, but I guess he felt like I underestimated his capability. I don’t wanna make him feel useless or like he’s inconveniencing me._ “Well, all right. But come and get me if you need anything. I won’t be too far.”

“Says the guy who nearly got run over today. Are you sure _you’ll_ be okay on your own?”

“Hehe. Yeah, I guess you got a point. Okay. I’ll see you later, then.”

Lea and Isa finished up their jobs, then bought their ice creams at the Sweets Shop. Afterwards, they made their way up the stairs to the top of the clock tower. It became their special hang out spot. Nobody else ever went there.

While the boys were eating their ice cream, Lea began to stare at the profile of Isa's face. _His ears and eyes. They worry me a little. They look like...Braig's. I wonder what that means._ _And that scar on his face, too._ _What could they have done to him?_ Lea began nervously swinging his feet over the edge. 

“Hey, Lea! Be careful! Don’t swing your feet like that! If you keep it up, you could fall!”

Lea laughed while he was still mid-bite. “What? I'm not gonna _fall_! Man, you’re such a worrywart.” Lea continued swinging his feet, smiling happily.

“Ugh. You’re like a little kid. See? Somebody’s gotta look after _you_.”

“Man. Listen to you, acting all cool and mature. But ya know, I happen to know the _real_ Isa.” Lea smiled mischievously.

“Huh? What’s _that_ supposed to mean?”

Lea was talking with a mouthful of ice cream. “You wouldn’t remember this, but I do. When we were in elementary school, you were _so_ shy around the other kids. You wouldn’t talk to _anyone_. One day, I saw you sitting by yourself and asked you to play. After that, you started following me around everywhere.” He laughed fondly. “You’d get so jealous if you saw me playing with any of the other kids. Then you’d give me the silent treatment for a few days. I had no idea why you were even mad at me!” He smiled nostalgically remembering the good old days.

Isa felt extremely embarrassed. He took a large bite out of his ice cream and began nervously swinging his feet. “Yeah, w-well, I’m not childish like that anymore.”

“Haha!” Lea was having a bit of fun at Isa’s expense.

“Well. Maybe I am. If you weren’t here, I don’t know _what_ I’d do.” 

Lea leaned close to Isa. “Aww, don't worry, Isa. I’ll take care of you. Just like I always have.” He had a big mocking grin.

Isa still felt really awkward, so he tried to change subject. “Why'd you pick such a high spot, anyways?”

“Easy! Look at that view.” 

Isa looked out over the horizon and smiled serenely.

Lea looked at his profile again. _He looks so happy right now. Sitting and watching the sunset after doing odd jobs. Eating ice cream. Just hanging out and talking. This is...so nice._ “Hey, thanks for all your help today. At this rate, we'll have enough munny for the beach in no time.”

“You don't have to thank me, Lea. I want to make sure you get a day to relax, too.”

 _Heh... He hasn't changed at all._ “So, I guess that means you don’t see me as a stranger, then, huh?”

Just then, Lea noticed that Isa looked a bit depressed. “Hey. What's wrong?”

“You know, at first, I was afraid that without any memories...you'd leave me. I mean, who’d want a best friend who doesn’t even remember them, right?”

Lea was taken aback by what Isa had just said. He leaned a bit closer. “Well, you don't have to worry about that. I'll never leave you. Even if you _never_ remember, I still won't abandon you. Got it memorized?” Lea pointed to his temple playfully.

Isa smiled sheepishly at Lea. “I know. It’s funny.” He put his hand over his heart and closed his eyes. “Yesterday, there was only one memory I had. I woke up in a dark cell. At first, I wasn’t even sure if I was alive or not. I didn’t know how I got there. I couldn’t remember anything. I didn’t even know who I was. The researcher guys would just call me ‘X’. I remember being...all alone. I was so scared. The only thing that kept me going was that I knew that I had a friend. I wanted to see him so badly.”

 _Yeah. I felt the exact same way_ , Lea thought as he listened to Isa.

“One day, the man with the eyepatch told me that my friend was gone. I was never going to see him again. When he said that, I felt like just...giving up. I couldn’t take the loneliness I felt. I just wanted to be swallowed by the darkness and disappear for good.”

Lea then took him by the hand.

Isa looked Lea in the eyes and smiled. “But last night, I remembered something else. I remember feeling the darkness swallowing me up. I think I was asleep after that. Then...it’s strange. At first, I thought it was a dream. But now, I’m not so sure. It felt so real. I remember waking up...in the sky.”

“The sky?”

Isa looked up at the sky and smiled a bit. “Yeah. There were clouds everywhere. It was really beautiful. It’s hard to explain. I didn't see anyone. But, I could just _feel_ someone there with me. And I knew it was the person I wanted to see so badly.” Isa looked at Lea again. “I’m sure of it...that was you. You were there with me, Lea.”

“Isa...”

“The next thing I remember is sitting up here on the clock tower with you yesterday. I still don’t have any memories of my past. But still. In my heart, I _do_ remember you. I know you really are my best friend.”

Lea held his hand tighter. “Well, I guess that just goes to show that I’m unforgettable. Immortal, you could say.”

“I feel really stupid now for thinking that you’d leave me. I’m sorry, Lea.”

Lea finished his ice cream and began nervously chewing on the stick. “You don't have to feel bad. I was...afraid, too.” His voice was a little lower and more solemn than usual.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I dunno. Maybe _that's_ how I opened that dark portal and wound up here.”

“I didn’t know you felt that way. I guess you just seem so...strong and brave.” 

Lea stared far off into the distance, still chewing on the stick. “Well, I wish I could say that I was. But I’m definitely not.”

 _I always tried to protect you during the experiments. I wanted to be strong, for your sake. But if I were being honest with myself, I’d have to admit. I wasn’t. Not really. I was weak and vulnerable._ _I only seem strong because you’ve been here with me this whole time. And I only seem brave because I’m more afraid of losing you than I am of anything else. If I didn’t have you around..._

Lea took a deep breath. “There's lots of things I'm afraid of.”

“Oh, yeah? Like what?”

“Hmm. Well... Y'know. Having things change. Being alone. Losing someone I care about,” he said calmly, gazing up at the clouds. “After we got separated, I was really scared. I was afraid...I'd never see you again. But ya know, I felt like you were really close by, too. Even though you were all the way in another world.” Lea suddenly felt self-conscious. _Can’t believe I’m saying all this out loud. I probably sound really weak right now._

“Well, you don’t have to be afraid anymore, Lea. I'll never leave you, either,” Isa said while staring directly at Lea, clutching his hand tightly. He was being completely serious. 

His total guilelessness made Lea a bit flustered. After losing his memory, Isa had changed. He didn't hide his feelings as much. He just said whatever he was feeling in his heart. It was different, but not in a bad way. Lea really liked the new Isa. He felt like he could tell him anything. 

_You’ve never left me. Even when we’ve been apart, we’ve always been...inseparable. That’s how I was able to find you._ _You've_ _changed, but...you're still the same. I guess I’ve changed, too. But I think I’m still the same deep down. Even if things change, I think you and me—things will always be the same between us._

Lea awkwardly scratched the back of his head, smiling ear to ear. A bit embarrassed, he decided to change the subject. “So. Now I guess we gotta decide what to do from here. Other than taking you to the beach, I...really have no idea. I didn’t exactly have a plan when I jumped into that dark portal. I was so desperate to find you, I never gave any thought about whether there’d be a way _back_. So, we don’t really have any way of getting home.”

Isa stared down at the ground, all the way down at the bottom of the clock tower. _I don’t have any memories of home, anyways._ “I...don't want to go back. If I do, I know they'll come after me. I think that's why I was brought to this world in the first place.”

“You think it was to keep you safe? Away from those apprentice guys?”

Isa nodded. “I think so. It’s just a feeling I have. I’m not really sure why.”

 _It’s just like that report in the mansion said. Maybe he has vague subconscious memories of certain things._ “Then, maybe you're right. I guess, in that case, we can't go home, anyways. If we went back, they'd no doubt find us. And...they'd take you back.”

“And then...I’d never see you again.”

Lea noticed his worried expression and tried to think of something to say. “If we can't go home, then why don't we just...run off together somewhere?”

Isa looked Lea in the eye, but said nothing.

“I mean, we may not be able to go home, but we can go _somewhere_.”

“Yeah. I guess you're right,” Isa responded timidly.

Lea thought for a bit before responding. “You know, it's a really boring little town, but this place isn't so bad. I actually kinda like it here. I guess we could just...run away together and live here? We can't go back to Radiant Garden anymore. But hey. We'll always have each other, right?”

“I wouldn't mind starting a life here with you.”

Lea was rendered speechless by Isa’s words and began to blush. “ _Ohhhh?_ What was that? Some kinda marriage proposal?”

Isa looked away. His face became bright red, too. “I just think I'd be happy. You know. Being with you every day. No matter what world.”

 _Yeah. Me too._ A playful smile formed on Lea's face. He was feeling a bit mischievous. “Well, I guess we can settle down together here. But ya know, I've heard adults say that things change when you start living together.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Isa suddenly looked dispirited.

 _Sheesh. The look on his face is priceless._ “Weeeell. First off, you start arguing about stupid stuff all the time. So, if we live together, you're eventually gonna start hating me for not making my bed and leaving my dirty socks on the floor.”

They both laughed loudly.

Isa looked upbeat again. “Well, don't worry. I won't hate you, Lea. Even if you _are_ a slob,” he said sarcastically. “I’ll just make sure to give you a good scolding.” He was playfully smirking.

“Oh, man. I’m gonna have to prepare myself for all the lectures I’m gonna get! With you, I’m sure I’ll never hear the end of it!”

The two boys spent a long time talking about stupid stuff and laughing.

It was nearly dusk. Lea looked over the horizon at the red sunset.

_Starting a new life together, huh? I think maybe it wouldn't be so bad if we started a life here. We may never see our home world again, but...we'll always have each other. When I think about that, things don't seem so scary. I think I can be happy living here in Twilight Town. As long as I have Isa with me._


	13. Day 4: Winner

The crimson sunset cast its warm light over the trees of the secret forest. Lea was sitting by himself at the usual spot when someone approached him.

“Here. I know how much you like this ice cream.” Riku smiled as he handed Lea a bar of sea-salt ice cream. He remembered how many ice creams he would eat when he was staying with him and Naminé in the haunted mansion. This was back when he was still a Nobody and on the run from the organization. Riku couldn't believe one person could eat so much ice cream.

“Well, aren't you thoughtful,” Lea said as he happily bit into the bar. “So, what brings you here? Something happen?”

“Well, yeah, kinda. Me and King Mickey were looking for Aqua in the Realm of Darkness. It’s kind of a long story, but...my Keyblade broke.”

“Uh-oh.” Lea suddenly realized what Riku just said. “Hey, wait a minute. Keyblades can break!?”

Riku laughed a bit at Lea’s comically exaggerated reaction. “It’s all right. With Merlin’s help, I was able to summon a new one. One without any connection to the darkness.” He smiled serenely.

Lea didn’t quite know what Riku meant, but he was relieved all the same. “That’s good. I see you got some new duds, too.” _And a haircut..._

“Yeah. Yours and Kairi’s new garments are finally done, too. Master Yen Sid wanted us to drop them off to you while we’re here. I gave them to Merlin already.”

“Oh...” Lea looked down at the black robe he was wearing. He’d been wearing ever since he first joined the organization all those years ago. Now that his upside-down tears were gone, this black robe was the only thing that still connected him to his old life. _I’m not ready to take this off. Not yet. Because I’m still not free of the organization. I’ll never be free. Not until I keep my promise._ “So, how’s Sora doing?”

Riku let out a barely audible sigh. “He’s our greatest chance right now. Unfortunately, Aqua’s fallen into the abyss. She’s out of our reach. The only person who could reach her is someone she was very close to. Terra, Ventus, or her Master Eraqus.”

“But they’re all gone, right?” Lea looked away sadly.

“Right. But...Sora has Ventus’s heart inside of him. If he can learn the power of waking, he’ll be able to awaken Ventus’s heart. Then, with that connection, we might be able to find Aqua and save her.” _I’m the one who handed Roxas over to DiZ. He said Nobodies had no hearts and had no right to exist. Maybe I’m partially responsible for why Ventus’s heart is asleep..._

Lea looked down at the ice cream in his hand. _Ventus’s heart was inside of Roxas the whole time._ _If I had told Roxas the truth about everything—about who he really was—would Ventus’s heart still be awake right now?_

“Sora just got back from Olympus, but he hasn’t had any luck yet. To be honest, I’m a bit worried if he’ll be able to figure it out. Sora usually needs someone to spell everything out for him. But there’s nobody who has the answers for him this time.”

Lea sensed Riku’s distress at not being able to help Sora. He tried to lighten the mood. “Well, I'll have you know that me and Kairi are doing just fine. Soon, we'll be as good as you and Sora. Oh, and I'm taking really good care of Kairi. So, there's no need for you to worry about her.”

“Hey, _somebody's_ gotta be the responsible adult. And it sure isn't Sora.”

They both laughed a bit.

Riku looked over at the glistening sunset. It reminded him of the sunset on Destiny Islands. “But I guess it's because of his childishness that he's able to reach so many people. Even people he’s never met, like Ventus. I always spent so much time being competitive and trying to win all the time. But Sora. He had a special talent. He can connect with others more easily than I can. I can't really beat him at that.” _I always thought I was better at everything. But Sora. I guess he was the real winner. Everyone’s counting on him._

Lea took another bite. _I guess being childish isn't so bad._

Riku hesitated a few moments before saying what he said next. “I was talking to Kairi earlier. She told me. About your best friend.”

Lea was not prepared for that comment. He looked up at Riku, making eye contact with him.

“He's one of Xehanort's vessels. Saïx. The one who kidnapped Kairi, right?” _I remember fighting him. He was Xemnas's right-hand man and very strong. I never would have guessed he was Lea's best friend. I can't imagine what he must have been going through. Back at the mansion, he acted so strangely. Now, I think I understand why. He was...lonely. I thought it was because Roxas left him. But I think he’s been lonely a lot longer than that. He lost his best friend. It’s the same way I felt when Sora was asleep._

“Yeah... That's right.” Lea looked down at the ice cream he held in his hand. He had stopped eating it and it began melting onto his glove.

 _He looks so vulnerable right now. Almost like a little kid._ “You know, it was Sora who saved me.”

Lea looked back up at Riku, but said nothing.

“It was all thanks to him. He's the reason I made it back to the light. He stood by me even after I betrayed him. And he accepted me even when I didn't look like myself. He...never gave up on me.” _Sora. Thanks to your stupid grin, I was able to go home and face everyone. Thank you._

“Yeah...” Lea stared at the drops of melted ice cream on the grass.

“I guess what I'm trying to say is...that Sora saved me. And if we can save Terra, Aqua, and Ventus, then we can save your friend, too.”

Lea quickly began eating his ice cream again. He was embarrassed while talking about such an emotional subject and needed something else to focus on. 

“You know, he's lucky to have a friend like you. You stood by his side even when you didn't know that he was possessed by Xehanort. You're a lot like Sora. In a good way.” 

Lea could tell that Riku was being completely genuine. As awkward as the conversation was for him, Lea thought it was kinda nice talking to Riku like this. He was kind and mature. He reminded Lea of Isa. And Riku’s been through his own pain and suffering. Lea felt like Riku could understand some of his pain. And that was something he wasn’t used to.

“If his heart is lost in the darkness, then you're just the kind of friend he needs. If there's anybody who'll be able to bring him back, it's you. Trust me.” Riku was looking directly at Lea, smiling warmly.

Lea hadn't seen such a tender display from him before. He looked down at his ice cream stick, now cleaned of its contents. There was nothing written on it. He looked back up at Riku with a crooked playful smile. “Ya know, you're surprisingly sensitive, Riku.”

Riku let out a small laugh and looked up at the red sky. “Yeah. Maybe I am.” He thought back to his Mark of Mastery exam and what Quasimodo said to him.

**_“Master Frollo—he made me live inside the bell tower, but the real walls were the ones I built around my heart. You helped me see that, Riku.”_ **

_I was speaking from personal experience._ “I’m guess I’m just tired of living with walls around my heart.”

Lea stared at Riku. _He’s definitely matured a lot._

“It was Terra who helped me realize that.”

“Terra?”

“Yeah. Actually, he was the one who passed on the Keyblade to me. I met him when I was little. On Destiny Island.” Riku summoned Braveheart and held it outward, the same way Terra held his Keyblade back then. “I remember exactly what he said to me that day. He held out his Keyblade and had me grab onto it.”

**_“In your hand, take this Key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be. And you will find me, friend—no ocean will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love.”_ **

“That’s what he told me.” _I think I get it now. That’s why Sora was able to take the Keyblade from me in Hollow Bastion. I thought it meant he was better than me, but it wasn’t that. Wielding a Keyblade is not about being better or competing. It’s about championing the ones you love._  
  
 _So, Terra is why Riku can use a Keyblade..._ _Huh. Now, that I think about it, when I first started training with Merlin, I remember he said the something similar. Most Keyblade wielders receive an inheritance ceremony to wield a Keyblade. 'Course, I never got one. Maybe that’s why Merlin was so surprised when I summoned one._ “Hm. Guess I must be special. I don’t remember ever touching anyone’s Keyblade.” _Or wait...have I? I think...I did touch someone’s Keyblade before. But...who’s?_ Lea seemed like he was struggling to remember something.

“Well, at the very least, you must have had the makings. You wanted to wield a Keyblade to save your best friend, right? That means you champion the ones you love.”

 _L-love!?_ “Yeah...I guess.” Lea awkwardly scratched the back of his head and refused to look at Riku.

 _Why is his face turning all red?_ “Haha! Ya know. You’re surprisingly sensitive, too.” _He really is a lot like Sora._

“Sh-shut up! Don’t laugh at me!”

Riku continued to laugh loudly at Lea’s embarrassment.

* * *

It was another beautiful day in Twilight Town. Though it was still early in the morning, the town always had the soft glow of dusk.

“So, Lea. What jobs do we have to do today?”

“Nothing. Remember these posters?” Lea pointed to a poster on the wall.

“Yeah, from yesterday. First Annual Struggle Tournament,” Isa read aloud.

“Yep! It's being held later today. I've been thinking. If I win, we can use the prize money to go to the beach.”

Isa seemed enthusiastic. “Can I enter, too? If we both compete, wouldn't that increase our chances of winning?”

 _Well, I doubt_ you _entering will increase our chances,_ Lea thought to himself. But he was too polite to say that out loud. “You really want to fight?”

 _Not really. But I don’t wanna just sit around and do nothing while you do all the work_. “Yeah. I’ll fight.”

“Hm. Okay. But you'd run the risk of fighting me in the end.” Lea smiled and pointed to himself with his thumb. “But if you really want to, then I don't see why not. Come with me.”

Lea and Isa headed over to the Sandlot. They had a few hours to practice before everything would be set up for the tournament.

* * *

Lea handed Isa a blue toy bat. “Okay, now. To win, you've gotta grab all the balls off of your opponent's velcro vest. Whoever has the most ball at the end of the round wins. You gotta be quick and hit 'em hard. Got it memorized?”

Isa nodded. “Yeah.”

“All right, then. Let’s practice. Ready? Go!”

Isa took a swing at Lea, but he instantly parried the blow. Isa was quickly knocked onto his backside.

“Haha! You put a lotta force in that blow, but you gotta work in your defenses. You left yourself wide open.”

“Let’s do it again!”

Isa hit Lea a few more times, but Lea had no trouble countering him. Lea noticed him struggling. “You sure you wanna enter?”

“I said I can do it!” He was getting frustrated.

“Okay...”

Once again, they sparred. And once again, Isa was trounced.

Lea felt bad for him and tried to compliment his technique. “Good job. That swing wasn’t...too bad.”

“You're going easy on me!”

 _Well...yeah. Of course I am. I kinda have to. If I weren’t, you’d be knocked flat in seconds. And besides, I don’t wanna hurt you._ “Listen, you probably aren’t ready for a big tournament just yet. I’m sure those others guys will be tough,” Lea said very gently.

“No! One more time!”

 _Sheesh, he sure is stubborn today. I don’t know why he’s so intent on competing. He never really liked this kinda thing._ “If you say so...”

Lea and Isa went at again. Lea was trying to go easy on Isa, but the difference in skill was simply too great. Isa gave it everything he had, but Lea still knocked him down with seemingly no effort at all. Suddenly, while on the ground, he had a flashback. He remembered his time fighting inside the castle.

* * *

_Can I really do this without Lea?_

He looked down at the knife in his hand. His hand was shaking.

_No. I have to. I want to protect him. That’s...my reason for doing all this. As long as I have a purpose, I can fight. I can keep going._

He closed his eyes and imagined Lea beside him, cheering him on.

**_“All right, Isa! Fight, fight, fight!”_ **

He opened his eyes and saw a group of enemies darting around in the distance. There weren’t that many and they weren’t that tough.

_I can do it. I can do it. He’s still here with me. He’s always here with me. Even when we’re apart. As long as I can feel him beside me, I’m not afraid. I can fight. I can handle anything._

* * *

_That’s right. I remember now. I...wanted to protect Lea. That was...my purpose. I worked so hard. But I failed at that, too. I couldn’t protect him. In the end I was totally useless..._

Lea reached out his hand to Isa to help him up. “Don't worry. I’ll win us the prize money this year.”

Isa didn’t take Lea's hand. Instead he got himself up on his feet. “Argh!!!” He threw the blue plastic bat on the ground.

 _Yikes. Looks like I pushed the wrong button by saying that. I wonder why he’s so moody today._ Lea didn't take Isa's angry outburst too seriously. He had dealt with Isa’s mood swings plenty of times before, and they always passed in time. Lea just laughed. “What's the matter?”

“Nothing!” Isa huffed. “I just...need a break!”

Lea watched as Isa stormed off. _Should I go apologize? I don't even know what I did wrong. Maybe I should give him some space. I don’t wanna rush things. That’ll just push more buttons. But how much space should I give him? Ugh, I'm not good at waiting..._

Lea practiced by himself for about ten minutes, then headed to the Tram Common. Isa was exactly where he was expecting him to be. He was at the Sweets Shop, petting the elderly owner’s black and white cat. “Hey. You okay?”

Isa scowled. “I'm fine!”

“C'mon, cheer up. It’s just a stupid game, ya know? It’s not a big deal.”

“Yes, it is. I'm always relying on you for everything. I can never do anything to help you.” This time, he sounded more sad than angry. _The only reason Lea is here in this town is because he came to rescue me. He left everything behind for my sake. But I can’t do anything for him in return._

“Hey, don’t say that.”

“But it's true,” he replied flatly.

“Listen. Everyone's unique. We’re all good at different stuff. Who cares if you’re not good at fighting? You're good at other stuff. For one, you’ve always gotten better grades than me! You’ve bailed me out plenty of times when I’d forget to study!”

Isa stared at Lea for a few seconds. “...You probably didn’t 'forget' to study.”

Lea laughed. “Damn, you figured me out! See, you’re really smart! A huge Know-It-All!” He clapped Isa on the shoulder.

Before long, Isa gave a tiny laugh, too.

“I'm really glad you want to help me so much. But, really. It doesn't matter to me if you compete or not. It's the thought that counts.” Lea smiled innocently. “But if you really wanna compete this year, we’ve still got a few more hours left to practice.”

“Okay.”

* * *

Back at the Sandlot, Isa was in a lot better mood. _Lea doesn’t care if I’m able to win or not. I don’t have to be “useful” to be a good friend. As long as I do my best, that’s all that matters._ He was doing a lot better now that he wasn't so discouraged.

“All right! Fight, fight, fight!” Lea was clapping.

Isa smiled upon hearing that praise.

“All right. Not bad! Now come at me with all you've got! No holding back!” 

Isa picked up the toy bat and ran at Lea with full force. He was just about to strike when suddenly, he stopped and dropped the bat and fell to his knees. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to put all his force into the blow. He wasn't even sure what came over him. It was just a terrible feeling of fear and dread.

Lea rushed over and put his hand on his back. “Hey! Are you okay!?” 

“I...I can't attack you...No...I won’t do it...” He looked totally spooked.

Lea became visibly anxious. _What is he talking about? Did he remember something? On second thought, maybe he shouldn't be fighting. Even if it's just playing._ “Hey, you know what? I think it's probably best if you sit this one out. I think you still need some time to recover. You just cheer me on from the sidelines, okay?” He flashed Isa a reassuring smile.

“Yeah. Okay...”

* * *

Later in the afternoon, people from all over town assembled in the Sandlot. Lots of kids were gathered in the crowd, all there to watch the tournament. The stands were packed.

Isa took a seat in the stands and prepared to watch the first match.

The MC took the megaphone and passionately introduced the first round of competitors. “First up we have neighborhood flirt Zidane vs. teenage heartthrob, Setzer.” 

Zidane was a cheerful young blonde boy with a lot of energy. Setzer was a handsome and well-dressed teen with long white hair. They both braced themselves for the upcoming fight.

“Now. Time to Struggle!”

Zidane was fast, but in the end, Setzer wound up defeating him. 

“Noooo! I can't believe I lost. In front of all these cute girls!” Zidane began whining and sulking.

“Better luck next year, kid,” Setzer boasted in a calm and cool manner, flicking his long white hair.

Isa noticed the girls beside him chatting.

“Wow, Setzer made short work of Zidane, huh!? He's soooo cool.”

“Yeah. I totally bet he's gonna win.”

 _That was pretty fun to watch. That Setzer guy might be tough for Lea, though_. Isa got up and decided to head over to the concession stand. He had a bit of pocket munny after putting up the posters and was craving a snack for the rest of the show.

“One sea-salt ice cream, please.” He began eating his ice cream, then took his seat in anticipation of the second match.

For the next round, it was Zell vs. Lea.

Zell was a hyperactive blonde teenager with spiky hair and a large tattoo on his face. “Don't you underestimate me! I've been taking martial arts lessons!”

Lea raised an eyebrow. “Uh, good to know.” _I mean, we're fighting with plastic bats here. Not sure what your martial arts skills have to do with anything, but okay._

Isa could hear the chatter coming from behind him.

“Who's that red-headed kid? Is he in your class?”

“Nuh-uh.” 

“That's weird. Nobody's heard of him?”

“Maybe he's from another school.”

Lea was standing in the middle of the stage and realized no one knew who he was. He noticed Isa in the crowd and waved to him with a huge goofy smile on his face.

 _Geez, that dork._ Isa rolled his eyes, then smiled and waved back.

“Well, I'm not about to let down my only fan.” Lea wore a smug smile. _Yeah. I can definitely take this guy. I've taken on way tougher enemies than him._

The bell rang. “Now! Struggle!”

Zell went down without too much difficulty from Lea. All his experience fighting in the castle made him pretty tough.

“Awww, not fair!”

“Maybe next year, son.” The MC smiled while patting Zell's back.

“Yeah, just you wait! I'll be the champ next _—_ Oh, they're selling hot dogs!? No way!!”

Lea looked on as Zell darted off in the direction of the corndog stand. “Well, glad to see he's taking his defeat well...I guess...”

* * *

There was a brief intermission before the final round. 

Lea looked over at the stands.

Isa put the last bit of his ice cream in his mouth. “Good job, Lea! Very impressive!” He was cheering in a playfully dry tone of voice and clapping, just like Lea had done for him earlier.

Lea scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. “Well, now I _definitely_ gotta win, huh?”

Isa took the stick out of his mouth and noticed something was written on his stick. “Winner?” _What's this? What did I win?_ He walked over to the concession stand. The same lady from the Sweets Shop was running it. “Excuse me? Can you tell me what this is for?”

“Oh, congratulations. You won a free ice cream, sweetie.”

Isa stared at the stick in his hand. _A free ice cream. Hmm. I really don't think I could eat another one. Oh, I know! I'll save it for Lea and give it to him as a treat when he wins the tournament._ “I'll come back to use this later.”

Isa put the stick in his pocket and sat back down in his seat.

The MC shouted into the megaphone, “The third and final round will be Lea vs. Setzer! This one will decide the champion, folks! I wonder who will win the crystal trophy?” He held the trophy in the air and the gems glistened in the sun.

The crowd was roaring now.

The MC patted both Lea and Setzer on the shoulder. “Good luck, kids.”

Lea looked at the crowd and noticed Isa watching. _All right, I gotta do this._ He breathed in deeply. _I shouldn't be feeling nervous. It's just a game. I mean, I've fought in real battles. This is nothing. Still. I really wanna win._

“You ready, boys?”

Lea was confident. “Bring it!” He swung his bat in the air.

“You seem pretty confident going up against me. You sure you wanna take that gamble?”

 _Man, who is this weirdo? He's so full of himself._ “I'm quaking in my boots, man.”

“Now! Begin!”

As soon as the bell rang, Lea began darting around the stage. He was extremely quick and took advantage of the many openings in his opponent's defenses. Setzer had a hard time landing any blows on him. It seemed like Lea had the match in the bag, but at the last minute, his nerves got the better of him. He got distracted, leaving him wide open. Setzer managed to make a last minute comeback, making the crowd go wild.

“Today's champion is...Setzer!”

Setzer smiled proudly as he was handed the Champion's Belt and the beautiful trophy, which was decorated with four differently colored gems on it.

“Setzer, Setzer, Setzer!” the crowd _—_ and especially the teenage girls _—_ cheered. Thus began the decade-long legacy of Setzer, Struggle Champion.

Lea sat on the floor of the stage, resting his face in his palm. _Geez, the girls sure seem crazy about him. Tch. He's not that great. Yeah, yeah, go ahead and cheer._ “Man, that was _almost_ me,” he grumbled under his breath. 

_**“From where I stood, the only thing you drew was a big L on your forehead for 'Loser'...'Lame,' 'Laughable'...”** _

_**“Wha— Isn't this the part where ya...cheer me up or somethin'? 'You're just havin' a bad day,' or...'That's what you get for pullin' your punches!' Some friend.”** _

_**“Oh, you mean I was supposed to lie.”** _

_It’s just like last time. I tried to show off in front of Isa, but I lost. I was hoping this time would be different. I wanted him to be impressed with me and think I was cool..._

Lea sighed. Then he looked up and noticed Isa had arrived on the stage. He reached his hand out and helped Lea up on his feet. 

Lea shrugged. “Looks like I lost...”

“Weeeeell, I'm sure you were just having a bad day, right?” he said with a bit of sarcasm.

 _He's trying to cheer me up._ Lea smiled. “Sorry, man. Looks like we'll just have to keep doing those odd jobs to save up munny for our little vacation.”

“That's okay. I had a lot of fun watching you get your butt kicked.” Isa didn't seem bothered at all.

“I always aim to please, Master Isa. Glad my humiliation could at least offer you some entertainment.” Lea bowed to him, like a butler.

They both laughed.

“Well, you tried. So, I still think you deserve a reward.”

“Aww, that's okay. I'd rather we just save our munny for the beach, ya know?” 

“No. It's okay. Come on. Follow me.” Isa took Lea by the hand and led him to the concession stand. He took out the “Winner” stick from his pocket and handed it to the woman at the stall.

“Here ya go, honey.”

“Thank you.” Isa took the bar of sea-salt ice cream from the lady and handed it to Lea. “Here. Your reward. A free ice cream. Sure, you lost the tournament. But thanks to me, you get to be a winner.” He gave Lea a playful smirk.

A huge grin formed on Lea's face. _It's true. I am. I'm really lucky to have a best friend like him._


	14. Day 5: War

Lea and Kairi were prepared for another day of practice. They summoned their Keyblades before meeting Merlin at their usual training spot.

“You can go ahead and put those Keyblades away, children. Today we have something else to focus on. Your education. I'd be remiss in my duties as your teacher if I only focused on your combat training. Learning and sharpening the mind—why, those are just as important as fighting.”

“Sooo, its like we're back in school...” Lea complained, but he didn't seem too upset by the idea.

“Precisely,” Merlin replied, smiling. He took a sip of his tea.

“What are we going to be learning about, Merlin?” Kairi asked as she dismissed her Keyblade.

“Do you know the history of the ancient Keyblade War?”

“Master Yen Sid mentioned it briefly, but he didn't fully explain it to me, no.”

“And you, lad?”

Lea shook his head. “Nope.” _None of this stuff makes any damn sense to me._

“Ah. You see, this is unacceptable. One cannot properly prepare for the future unless they are knowledgeable about the past. If one does not know history, they are doomed to repeat it.” Merlin pensively stroked his beard. “Of course, in Xehanort's case, it may have been the opposite. Very few know of the ancient Keyblade War. Xehanort was one of them. And he used that knowledge to try and recreate one.”

Lea couldn't resist asking. “I can't deny that I'm curious. What exactly _is_ the deal with this Keyblade War stuff?”

“Well, that's what I'm here to teach you. Ahem. Long ago, in the age of fairy tales, the World was filled with light—a gift, many believed, from an unseen power known as 'Kingdom Hearts'. You see, Kingdom Hearts was protected by its counterpart, the 'χ-blade', so that none could ever lay hands on its mysteries.”

Merlin waved his wand and summoned an image of the letter 'χ' in the air for Lea and Kairi to see.

“The letter you see before you is 'χ'. It is pronounced 'Chi', like the word 'Keyblade'. Some call it 'Kye'. This 'χ-blade'—you could call it the true Keyblade. This is what Master Xehanort is after. He wants to unlock the true Kingdom Hearts. A feat that no one has ever accomplished before.”

Lea stared at the letter 'χ' that Merlin summoned. _That letter. That's what Xehanort called Isa. It's the same shape as his scar. He wanted to use Isa to create the χ-blade. That's what his goal was all along._

“Are you paying attention, Lea?”

“Oh, uh, yeah. 'Course I am!”

“Good. Now, Kingdom Hearts was seen as the origin of all light in the World. But in time, the World was overrun by legions who wanted the light all for themselves, and the first shadows were cast upon the land. These warriors crafted 'Keyblades' in the image of the original χ-blade, and waged a great war over Kingdom Hearts. We call this the 'Keyblade War'.”

 _The Keyblade War. It almost destroyed the World_. Kairi was listening very carefully to everything Merlin said. The subject interested her a great deal.

“But though the war extinguished all light from the World, the darkness could not reach the brightness inside every child's heart. With that light, the World was remade as we know it today, with countless smaller worlds shining like stars in the sky.”

 _So. Children were the key to rebuilding the worlds, huh?_ Lea smiled at the thought.

“As for the real χ-blade, it did not survive the battle. The two elements that created it, one of darkness and one of light, shattered into twenty pieces—seven of light; thirteen of darkness. That is what Xehanort is after. He wants to pit thirteen Seekers of Darkness against seven Guardians of Light. He needed thirteen empty vessels to place his heart into, so he could begin another Keyblade War.”

_Empty vessels. That's all Xehanort was after. That's why he conducted the experiments. Isa. He's just an empty husk to Xehanort, not a person. His soul, his mind...his heart. None of that matters to him. Isa’s been turned into a hollowed-out shell to house darkness. That’s why Saïx’s personality changed so much. He was never really Isa. The whole time, he was just another Xehanort masquerading as him. A puppet.  
_

Lea remembered the moment he arrived in the Sleeping World to rescue Sora.

_**“Promises to keep. I'll always be there to get my friends back. What, bad timing? You had your perfect little script, but you kinda forgot to write the sequel. Now, let's find out what happens!”** _

_That’s why the old man sent Isa to attack me. He was rubbing it in my face. I’m sure Xemnas knew the whole time, too. I thought I was plotting behind his back, but he was two steps ahead of me the entire time._ Lea tried his best to mask the disgust he was feeling at that moment.

Merlin continued the lesson. “And as for the source of all light—the one true Kingdom Hearts—it was swallowed by the darkness, never to be seen again. As long as it remains there, even the brightest world will have its dark corners. After all, light begets darkness, and darkness is drawn to light. For this reason, some decided to use the Keyblade—a weapon designed to conquer the light—to defend the light instead. These were the first heroes of the Keyblade. And you are the inheritors of that legacy.”

After the day's history lesson, Kairi and Lea went to their usual spot.

Lea was looking out over the horizon, lost in thought. _So. Isa's a Seeker of Darkness. And I'm a Guardian of Light. If darkness if drawn to light, then...I'll be his light._

He turned his attention to the sunset, its red light shining down upon the land. His red hair glistened in the sunlight.

_Red. It's the color of light that travels the farthest. That's why the sunset is red. Light is made up of lots of colors. Seven colors of light. Seven Guardians of Light. In that case, I'll be the red light. No matter how far away Isa is, I'll be able to reach him. And I'll bring him back._

Lea looked over at Kairi and noticed that she seemed lost in thought, too. She was unusually quiet today. “Got something on you mind, Kairi?”

“Well, it’s strange. I've actually heard about the Keyblade War before.”

“You have?”

She nodded. “Yeah. It was a story my grandmother used to tell me, when I was really little. Back when I still lived in Radiant Garden.”

She remembered when Sora changed back after becoming a Heartless. They were both in Traverse Town in the underground cavern. The painting of the sun began to shine. Then, suddenly, it changed into a crescent moon.

_**“A light at the end of the tunnel...”** _

_**“Oh, your grandma’s story, right?”** _

_**“That’s right. We were together.”** _

_**“You know what’s funny? I looked everywhere for you, but you were with me all along. Finally, we’re together, Kairi.”** _

Kairi smiled. “I thought it was just a fairy tale. But, I guess it really wasn’t.”

“So, what was the story your grandma told you?”

Kairi closed her eyes and placed her hand over her heart. In her mind, she could hear the words of her grandmother so clearly. Kairi begged her to tell that story so many times. She was able to repeat it verbatim:

**_“Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of light. Everyone loved the light. Then people began to fight over it. They wanted to keep it for themselves. And darkness was born in their hearts. The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many people's hearts. It covered everything, and the world disappeared. But small fragments of light survived, in the hearts of children. With these fragments of light, children rebuilt the lost world. It's the world we live in now. But the true light sleeps, deep within the darkness. That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other. But someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open, and the true light will return. So, listen, child. Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you. Believe in the light, and the darkness will never defeat you. Your heart will shine with its power and push the darkness away.”_ **

“Huh. It does sound really similar to what Merlin said.”

“Yeah. You know...I...”

“Hm? What?”

“I remember my grandma told me that story when I was inside the castle.”

“The castle, huh?”

Kairi nodded and was silent for a moment. “You know, Lea. I think...I do have other memories of being inside the castle. I wish I could remember more clearly. But...I remember...being surrounded in darkness. I think...I was locked up.”

 _I wonder if she's talking about the experiments..._ “So, you remember being kept prisoner by Xehanort?”

“I don't know... Maybe. I'm not really sure,” she said as she shook her head. “I just know that the story of the Keyblade War—hearing it brought back some memories.” Kairi looked like she was struggling really hard to recall something.

Lea looked at her with concern. _Maybe...she's starting to remember her time being experimented on by Xehanort. I’m not sure she’d really want to have those kinds of memories, though._

* * *

“Okay, Isa. Today your job is just delivering some letters.”

Isa was barely listening. He had an awful nightmare last night. He couldn't really remember what it was about. All he remembered was a great darkness coming down from the sky. Then, he saw a large crossroads with a heart-shaped moon in the sky. It felt so ominous. Almost like a graveyard. He couldn't shake he feeling that something very bad was on the horizon.

Lea noticed that he seemed a bit spacey. “Are you sure you're okay?”

“Oh. Yeah. I'm fine.”

“I can come with you today, if you want.”

“No. It's okay. I can do it.”

“You sure?”

Isa smiled a bit. “You worry too much.” _Lea always looks out for me.  
_

Isa and Lea went their separate ways and did their odd jobs. After a few hours, Isa decided to take a short break. He made his way over to the park in Sunset Terrace. There was a small fountain in a secluded little area.

 _I’m kind of tired today._ Isa took a moment to look at his reflection in the fountain. It looked strange. Like a dark shadowy figure. He jolted backward, startled.

The shadowy reflection then appeared to reach its hand out. Isa stared at it until it began walking towards him.

“Ah! Stay back!” He instinctively guarded himself with his arms while walking backwards.

The dark figure was completely black with round yellow eyes. It walked straight through him. In that moment, Isa felt everything going hazy. The next thing he remembered was waking up to Lea’s voice calling his name while he was lying on the ground.

“Isa!”

Isa opened his eyes. Lea was kneeling beside him.

“Here you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you. You really had me worried.” Lea said as he helped Isa to his feet.

“I’m really sorry. I don't know what happened.”

“...Listen. Are you sure you're okay?”

 _I was probably just seeing things_. “Yeah.”

Lea noticed he sounded a bit depressed. “C’mon. Let’s go sit down.”

The pair made their way to Sunset Hill and sat down on the bench. It was dark out. The moon hanging in the sky was a thin crescent sliver. It was the final phase of the moon. Soon, the moon would be totally shrouded in darkness. It wouldn't reflect the sun's light. It would be invisible in the sky. It was the same symbol as the one on Isa's jacket.

Isa was staring at the moon when Lea decided to voice his concerns. “Hey. Um. I’m not trying to coddle you or anything. But I think it’s probably better if I came with you from now on.”

“No. It’s okay. You're not coddling me.” He didn’t put up as much resistance as Lea expected.

“Oh....okay.” _Maybe he’s been having flashbacks lately._ Lea tried to change the subject to something more lighthearted. “Tomorrow, we should have enough munny. Then, next week is the festival. We can finally go to the beach.”

Isa smiled sadly. “Yeah. It’s going to be so much fun.”

“Well, c'mon. Let’s get outta here and go home.”

Lea and Isa stood up to leave.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a black portal materialized right in front of them. Out of the portal stepped a man in a black coat with his hood up. “So. This is where you've scurried off to, X.” The man looked around. “Such a tiny little world. A prison.”

“Who are you!?”

The black-robed man simply ignored Lea and continued to address Isa. “You've been able to feel it, haven't you? Your time is almost at its end. Soon, your heart will be completely swallowed by the darkness within you. There is no escaping that fate.” His face could not be seen under his dark hood.

Both boys were rooted to the spot and couldn’t move. All of Isa’s bad feelings from the day were now coming true.

Just then, another man wearing a familiar eyepatch walked out of the dark portal. “Now that _he's_ been banished, it’s time to take you back with us.”

Isa's eyes widened in terror upon seeing this man. 

“Braig!” Lea shouted.

“Now how in the world did you get here, Red?” He laughed heartily.

“H-how did you know where to find us!?”

“Easy.” Xigbar pointed at Isa. When he smiled, there was a mean glint in his golden eye. “Him.”

The robed man finally took off his hood. 

_Who is he!? He’s got the same white hair as that other apprentice guy. But he looks different_ , Lea thought.

The white-haired man spoke. “That scar you have. It lets us know where you are at all times. There's nowhere for you to run or hide. You are one of the chosen. You belong to us.”

Lea ran in front of Isa who was frozen in shock. He felt a sense of panic overcome him. “You're crazy if you think I'll just stand by and let you take him!”

“Oho, so cute. Kid thinks he's a hero,” Braig teased.

Without warning, the white-haired man quickly dashed behind Lea and knocked him out using an unusual weapon.

“Lea!” Isa shouted. But before he could do anything else, he was knocked out as well.

* * *

Isa woke up to find himself in an unfamiliar place. It was a dark laboratory-like area actually located in the basement of the mansion in the woods. He saw Lea lying on the ground not far from him. “Lea!”

“Ah-ah-ah. Don't move.” Braig lifted one of his arrowguns and pointed it at Lea.

Isa felt himself trembling with anger. “Leave him alone!”

“Ooooh. So, it looks like this one does have a bit of that fighting spirit, after all. Who'da guessed?”

Isa gave Braig an icy glare. 

“Do you _always_ have to glare at me like that?”

The white-haired man, who was really Young Xehanort, thought back to the world he had previously visited, not that long ago. It was a world from the future. _That world with the toys. Thanks to my experiments there, I learned it’s possible to plant a heart into the vessel of our choosing. Even an empty puppet can be given a strong heart._ He looked directly at Isa. “It seems the empty puppet has come back to life. It must have been because of this boy.”

“He's not a puppet.”

Young Xehanort took a step towards Lea. “I see you’re finally awake.” He summoned a strange black-and-white weapon with a clock and a goat's head on it.

“Stop! Don’t hurt him! You can take me back with you if you want! Just leave Lea alone!”

Braig found Isa’s pleading quite amusing. “You two are quite the pals, ain’t ya? Aww. You're making me all warm and fuzzy inside.”

 _He’s willing to sacrifice himself for this boy. I see. So, that’s what makes his heart so special_. “You truly are a remarkable specimen.”

Isa said nothing to Young Xehanort.

“Our experiments creating Heartless were attempts to control the mind, and convince it to renounce its sense of self. When people experience extreme pain, they will disassociate from their body and their reality in order to get relief. At the moment of disassociation, their mind will become fragmented. In the end, the experiments proved to be a failure. All the subjects hearts’ collapsed, even those of the most stalwart. All except for you.”

Isa looked on, unable to react.

“Thanks to you, we have learned of the heart's folly.”

_The heart's folly?_

“The heart that loves another even more than oneself cannot collapse. The power of the human heart is indeed vast. However. That same power is the heart’s very own weakness.” He looked at Lea. “That which we treasure has power over us. The heart is captive to it. And that makes it its weakness. For you see, the heart that loves is far more susceptible...to pain.” 

Young Xehanort remembered the pain of the toys after they were separated from Andy. It allowed Buzz to be consumed in darkness and lose his sense of self. He forgot who he was and attacked his friends.

**_“What do you want with my friend?”_ **

**_“Look...Such tremendous darkness. All because he was ripped away from the boy who cares about him most.”_ **

He approached Lea, weapon in hand.

“No! Stop it! Get away from him!” yelled Isa.

“Your weakness is quite clear. I will take from you that which you cherish most. The heart of your friend. Then your mind will no longer put up any more resistance.”

“No! Lea!”

Young Xehanort gave Isa a sideways glance. “Recusant. You will not be waking up this time.”

The last thing Isa recalled was watching the white-haired man draw his blade and point it at Lea.

“NOOO!”

Isa couldn't hear anything. Not even his own voice screaming. His mind became consumed in total blackness. All was dark and still. The only thing he was aware of was his own inner thoughts.

_I just want to protect Lea. But I’m not strong enough. I’m too weak to save him. Too weak. To save him, I need to become stronger. I need more power. More power. More...power..._

_...More..._ _...Power..._

_...Power..._

In a split second second, Isa became like a feral animal. He lunged at Young Xehanort and knocked him down.

“What!?”

Just like that, they were engaged in combat.

Braig shot a few rounds, but it barely did anything to stop him. “What’s goin' on!?”

“It seems his fear has sharpened into rage. He has awakened the darkness inside of him.” Young Xehanort smiled.

All of Isa’s hair stood on end. His face became red. The scar on his forehead swelled until it looked twice as large as it normally did. He was like a beast. He attacked with his bare hands, like claws. His eyes were glowing yellow, like a Heartless.

“So, what do we do now?” 

“This boy is the fire that fuels his anger. By the time we return, he'll probably have finished off his friend already. I'm sure he'll be far easier to control by then.”

With that said, both Young Xehanort and Braig disappeared into a dark corridor, leaving Lea alone with the berserk Isa.

“Isa!” Lea shouted as he ran toward his friend. But once he got closer, he stopped short.

An ominous feeling filled the air around Isa. He was emanating a frightening energy. He stared blankly, as if he was in some kind of daze.

Lea slowly took another step forward toward his friend. “Isa?”

But as soon as he made a move, Isa lunged at him.

“Wh-What? Isa, stop!”

Isa had strength that Lea had never seen from him before. He wasn't acting like himself at all. _Isa would never attack me. It's like something is possessing him._

Isa continued to attack Lea seemingly without any awareness of what he was doing. He was frighteningly strong.

“Isa, snap out of it!” Lea yelled, but it didn't seem like Isa could hear him. Lea was having a hard time protecting himself from Isa's vicious blows, but he was reluctant to use too much force to fend him off.

_Damn it! What do I do!? I don't want to hurt him! But if I don't do something, he's going to kill me!_

Lea took quite a beating as he pondered over what to do. His arms and legs were black and blue.

“Arrrghhh!” he shouted as he was thrown against the wall.

Isa came charging right at him as he was backed against the wall.

Lea instinctively shielded himself with his arms while yelling at the top of his lungs. “Isa! STOOOOP!”

Surprisingly, that worked. Isa stopped attacking Lea. He just stood there, motionless.

Lea slowly got up and approached him. He placed his hands on his shoulders and spoke gently. “Isa. It's me. Lea. Can you hear me?”

Isa shut his eyes tightly. “Urgh.” The scar on his brow was contorted with pain.

When he opened his eyes, they were no longer glowing bright yellow, like a Heartless. They were the same gold color from before. He was panting and covered in sweat. “Lea...?”

“Are you all right!?” Lea asked frantically.

“I think so...” Isa said, looking down at the ground. “Wait! What happened to those guys!?”

“They're gone. You chased them away. You saved me.” Lea still had his hands on Isa's shoulders.

“I did?”

“Yeah. Then you went totally berserk. You...don't remember?”

“No...” Isa looked at Lea and noticed the bruises he had all over. “Was I...the one who did that to you?”

Lea was reluctant to answer him. Of course, he didn't want to lie, either. He turned his head to hide his troubled expression, saying nothing.

 _So, it's true...I attacked Lea. The darkness inside me took over. What if that happens again?_ Suddenly, he became very afraid.

“C'mon. Let's hurry up and get outta here, okay?”

“...Yeah...” Isa was still a bit disoriented after everything that happened. Lea took him by the hand and they both left the mansion.


	15. Day 6: Tears

Deep in the castle of The World That Never Was, there was a cage, suspended from the ceiling. Axel peered up at it and called to the girl who had to be inside. Beside him, Pluto wagged his tail wildly. 

“Kairi?” he called, and at the same time, Pluto barked. 

Her face appeared from behind the bars. “You…?” 

He smiled up at her with a hint of a smirk. “Axel. Didn’t you have it memorized?” 

Kairi nodded. 

“Um, well… I’m sorry about before. It’s my fault you’re locked up in here. Just wait. I’m gonna get you out.” Axel opened a dark rift, and Pluto jumped into it a step ahead of him. 

Then someone else spoke behind him. “I’ve been waiting for you, Axel.” 

“Yeah, I figured you’d show up.” His smirk turned nastier as he turned to see Saïx. He didn’t take his eyes off him as he spoke to the girl in the cage. “Listen, Kairi! Trust me. I’m going to get you out!” Behind him, the portal closed. 

“What are you saying…? Vile traitor!” The great Claymore took shape at Saïx’s back. 

Axel didn’t waste a second grabbing his chakrams. But his body was reluctant somehow. _I don’t want to disappear… But still, it wouldn’t be so bad if I did. Not here._

Axel let out a deep breath and leaped into the air as flames erupted around them. 

“…Pathetic!” The Claymore moved to block Axel’s strike, while Saïx himself didn’t even twitch. 

Still, Axel refused to hesitate. He had to force this path open. He wanted…to find hope—the hope that Sora and Riku had. 

Saïx gave him a cruel grin. “You will lose everything!” 

And then the Claymore pierced Axel’s chest. 

* * *

Lea suddenly jolted up in bed. His heart was racing and he was covered in a cold sweat. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. He put a hand up to his face, and realized how wet it was.

“Awww, man.” 

He got up, walked to the small dresser at the side of his bed, and looked in the mirror. In the moonlight, he was able to see his reflection.

Saïx's words kept replaying in his mind, haunting him. 

_**“I’ve been waiting for you, Axel.”** _

_I guess I really did have a heart back then. No wonder those words hurt so much._

Lea wiped his eyes with his sleeve. 

_Saïx. He knew exactly the right words to hurt me. He didn’t have a heart. He never showed any emotion. But after I left, he was so angry. He wanted me dead. I'd never seen him like that before. Somewhere deep down...did he have a heart, too? Was he able to feel the pain in Isa's heart when I left? Did...Isa think I abandoned him?_

He felt tears welling up again. It was the first time he'd cried since becoming human again. He looked in the mirror and placed his fingers where his upside-down tear marks used to be. 

“I guess I haven't outgrown them yet, after all. I’m still...the same crybaby I was before.”

* * *

Isa was sitting on the ledge of the clock tower. _Lea’s always helping me. But I’ve done nothing but cause him trouble. If I stay by his side, it’ll just wind up killing him. I really...shouldn't exist._

Lea ascended the clock tower with two ice creams in hand. “Here.” He handed one of the ice creams to Isa. “Thought some ice cream might cheer you up.”

“Thanks,” Isa responded flatly, not looking Lea in the eye. He didn't eat the ice cream and it began melting in his hand.

The two boys sat in total silence for what felt like an eternity. Lea glanced at Isa occasionally, but Isa was looking down the whole time, never making eye contact with him. It filled Lea with unease, but he was too afraid to say anything. Finally, after a long while, Lea worked up the courage to break the silence. “Your ice cream's melting.”

“Oh...” Isa slowly took a bite. 

At length, the boys finally finished the last bits of ice cream they had left. Lea could barely force himself to choke it down before it completely melted in his hand.

Isa stared down at his bare stick, then looked into the distance. His eyes followed a faraway train as the lonely sound of its whistle broke through the silence. It was headed for the beach. The same one that the boys hoped to visit on the day of the fair.

Finally, Isa spoke up. “Lea, I...I just...I can’t do this anymore...It’s over. I can't stay with you anymore.”

Lea had a visceral reaction upon hearing that. “Don't say stuff like that, okay?! Everything will be fine! We can run away somewhere. Once the train arrives, we'll hop on and just go as far as we can.”

Isa shook his head and spoke weakly. “No. It won't work. They'll be able to find me.” 

_I can't believe it. He's really serious, isn't he?_ “So, that's it? Your mind's made up? You just wanna give up?”

Isa nodded. “This...is for the best.”

Lea didn't like that answer. “I can't believe you! This is crazy! There has to be something else we can do!”

“Like what? What else can we do, Lea!?”

“I— I don't know,” Lea responded, sounding defeated. _I just want to protect you. But it's true. I have no idea how to do that. There's...nothing I can do, is there?_

“This is the right choice. If I wait and do nothing, they'll just make me go back with them. And they’ll target you to make me do what they want.”

Lea had no idea how to respond. It was true.

“They only want me for some reason. I've...caused you enough trouble already. If I'm not around, they won't bother you anymore. You'll be...better off.”

“That's a lie!” Lea angrily snapped. _Better off!? How can he say something like that!?_

Isa put his hand on Lea's back to comfort him. “Lea... I just want to protect you. We’ll both be doomed if I stay with you. I've made up my mind. I won't let them hurt you.”

“There's really...no other way?” Lea asked in the tiny shaky voice of a small child. _This...was the last time we'll ever eat ice cream together, wasn't it?_

Isa didn't look at Lea. “I'm so sorry,” he said quietly. “But this is what I have to do.”

Lea looked vacantly into the setting sun. It looked so beautiful. More beautiful than any sunset he'd ever seen before. He was convinced that there was never a more beautiful sunset on any other world. It was still beautiful even when the image became too blurry for him to see. The beautiful, sad sunset. It broke his heart.

 _I can tell when he's serious. There's no changing his mind. I don't have a choice. There's nothing to do now but respect his wishes._ “I wish… I could have at least taken you to the beach.” Lea didn't look at Isa. Instead, his eyes narrowed under the light of the setting sun. “All we wound up doing was eating ice cream. So much for making memories…” His voice was wavering and his shoulders were shaking. 

“Don't say that, Lea. I already have special memories. It’s...because of you. I’m really grateful that I got to meet you.” Isa turned his gaze from Lea towards the sunset. He had a soft smile. _I wish I could stay just like this. Forever_ , Isa thought to himself. _I just want to be with Lea forever._

Lea looked at the profile of his face. It was glowing warm crimson under the light of the setting sun. Strangely, he almost looked happy.

_I'm such an idiot. Why? Why did I ever step foot inside that castle? The whole reason I wanted to sneak inside in the first place was to create memories. I thought I needed to do something really exciting._

_But...I was wrong._

_Sitting and watching the sunset, eating ice cream with Isa. This ordinary peaceful existence. This is what true happiness feels like._

_What I always wanted...it's been right here the whole time. Only now...I'm going to lose it._ Lea felt a deep aching in the pit of his chest. It was unbearable.

“Please! Don't go!” Lea desperately pleaded.

“I have to, Lea. There's nowhere left for me to go. I can't stay here with you. But...I can go somewhere.” 

For a few moments, Lea was speechless. “But I don't want you to go! You belong here! Please! Don't do this!” Lea's voice began to get louder. “I just want us to stay together! I want us to be together every day!” _I want things to stay like they are now. That's all I want. That's it. That's my wish. Nothing else._ He looked up at Isa with the expression of a stray puppy. “I can't bear to lose you, Isa. I...need you...”

 _I don't know what to say. I love Lea. He...shines so brightly. But all I ever do is cause him darkness and pain. That's my biggest regret. It hurts more than anything that happens to me._ Isa said was silent for a few moments. He looked down at the ice cream stick in his hand. He looked directly into Lea's eyes, then gently grabbed his hand and placed the stick in it.

Lea looked down at the stick Isa placed in his hand. It read “Winner”.

“It'll be okay even if things change. What's important isn't that we hang out with each other every day.” Isa tried his best to sound cheerful. “As long as you never forget me, we'll never be apart.” 

Isa was trying his hardest to be strong for Lea. But if Lea were being honest with himself, he'd have to admit it. He _hated_ what Isa said. It didn't make him feel better at all. It reminded him of a conversation they had back when things were normal.

**_“I want everybody I meet to remember me. Inside people’s memories, I can live forever.”_ **

**_“I know I won’t forget you. Believe me, I try all the time.”_ **

**_“See? I'm immortal.”_ **

At the time, it comforted Lea to think that some day, when he was gone, he'd still exist in someone's memories. It made him feel immortal. By his own logic, Isa would never die. He’d be with him forever, in his memories. But now that Lea was actually confronted with the reality of that ideology...he felt disgusted with it. It felt like his heart had been smashed to pieces.

 _But...I don't want to be left with just memories of you...That’s not the same..._ Lea's eyes welled up with tears as he stared down at the 'Winner' ice cream stick in his hand. He wanted to be strong, like Isa was. He didn't want to break down and cry. But he couldn't hold back. He broke down and sobbed harder than he ever had before in his entire life. Just like a small child. All the pain and anguish he'd been bottling up for so long now burst, like a dam. He was despondent.

Isa didn’t know how to console Lea. He hesitated a moment before placing his hand on Lea's face, wiping away some of his tears. He said in a gentle voice, “Please don’t cry, Lea.”

But it didn't help. Lea was still completely inconsolable. He only cried harder and sobbed louder.

Seeing the ever-cheerful Lea reduced to such a state broke Isa’s heart. He couldn’t bear to see his best friend cry. With his eyes cast downward, Isa spoke in a soft voice. His hand was still gently touching Lea's face. “We'll meet again…in the next life.”

Lea raised his head to look at Isa. His shoulders were trembling and his bottom lip was quivering. But for just a moment, he had quieted down.

Isa looked directly into Lea’s eyes. “And then we can be together forever.” _That's right…We don't disappear. We just...go somewhere else. I hope that once I leave this world, I can see Lea. And that...we can be together again. That's all I want. Just that. I'd give anything for that._

“...Do...you...promise me?” It became difficult for Lea to speak through his sobs. 

“Yeah. I promise. I’ll be waiting for you. In that place in the sky.” He gently stroked Lea's face and wiped away a few more tears. “Now no more crying, okay? I want you to keep smiling.”

 _You'll be waiting for me. You promised me that. I won't forget this promise for as long as I live._ Lea stared at Isa, then wiped his eyes with his arm. Then he took Isa by the hand, and they quickly interlocked their fingers. A long time passed as they sat holding hands and watching the sunset, without saying a word. 

The silence made Lea increasingly nervous with each passing second, but he couldn't muster the courage to say anything. His legs dangled over the ledge and he swung his feet anxiously.

Then, at last, Isa finally let go of Lea’s hand.

Lea watched as he slowly stood up, his gaze fixated far into the distance. He looked calm, unlike Lea who was still a mess, his eyes red and puffy. The sun was now making its way below the horizon. The bells on the clock tower chimed the hour. 

To Lea, the sound was unbearable, like a requiem. With great reluctance, he got to his feet as well. His body had never felt so heavy before.

They stood still for a few more moments, basking in the scenery. They stood side by side. Lea could still feel the warmth of his best friends hand.

Isa finally looked into Lea's eyes as tears streamed down each cheek. There was sadness in his eyes, though he was still smiling. “I'll...see you later, Lea.” He spoke so softly and gently, it almost sounded like a whisper. _I'll be happy as long as I can see you again someday._

Lea's shoulders trembled and he could barely breathe due to the choking sensation in his throat. He marveled at Isa's inner strength. “See you, Isa.” His voice was as soft and gentle as Isa's. Tears fell down his face, all the way down the clock tower to the ground.

Isa leaned backward and his body began to descend. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. He was falling and in just a few seconds, he would leave this world forever. 

Without even thinking, Lea instinctively reached out and grabbed his hand. He caught him as he dangled from the ledge. 

Isa looked up at Lea, startled.

Lea pulled his friend back safely onto the ledge. His whole body was trembling. 

Isa was dizzy and just stared at Lea in shock, unable to formulate a sentence.

“Cmon. Let's go.” Lea was still holding Isa by the hand. He led him back downstairs and outside, in front of the station. “Once the train gets here, we'll leave.”

Isa meekly followed Lea. But then, he suddenly let go of Lea's hand. “Lea…no...I can’t.” _I want to go with you. I want to. But I know I can't._

“That's enough.”

“Lea—”

“I said that's enough!” Lea was yelling now. This was the first time Lea had yelled at him before. “We're leaving. Now.”

“But—”

“Will you just shut up already!?” Lea shouted as he grabbed Isa by the arm. “We're gonna get on the train and go! We'll find somewhere to go!”

“Lea, they're gonna find us again! You know that!” Isa pleaded.

“Just give me some time! I'll figure something out!” Lea shut Isa down with the emphatic refusal of a child throwing a temper tantrum.

“There is no time! I don't want to join those guys! They're just gonna make me hurt people! I don't want to anyone to get hurt because of me! Especially you! This is what's best for everyone!”

This angered Lea even more. “I don't give a damn what's best for everyone! Not if it means you have to die! You got _that_ memorized?!”

“They're trying to turn me into a monster! I don’t want to let myself be used as a weapon by those guys! Please!” Isa looked at the ground. “This is for the best,” he said sadly.

Lea looked away. _The “best” thing? How is letting Isa die the best thing to do? Best for who? For me? That's not what I want. If that's the right thing to do, then I don’t really wanna be right. I don't wanna be a good person. I’d rather be a bad person._ “How can you say that?” he said bitterly.

“Lea! I almost killed you the other day! Don't you see!?”

“What the hell is your problem!? You are really pissing me off!” He stomped his foot.

“Lea, I want the same thing you do! You think I don't want us to stay together!? Of course I do! That's all I've ever wanted! But it's just not possible! Not anymore!”

“I don't care if it's impossible! I've decided! That's what I want!” he yelled, choking through his sobs.

“Please, Lea! Listen to yourself! You're acting like a child!”

“So then, what? I should just 'grow up' and let you die!? Is that it!? In that case, screw being an adult! No matter what you say, I'll never accept that! All I want is for us to stay together! That's it! That's all I want! To hell with...”

He looked at the “Winner” stick in his hand and gave it a vicious glare.

“... _Memories_!” he bellowed at the top of his lungs as he launched the stick over the brick ledge as far as he could. It flew over the rooftops and was soon out of sight.

“Please. I _have_ to do this.”

“No!”

“Why won't you just respect my wishes?!”

“You know what!? You're right! I don't listen to you! In fact, I _never_ have! And I'm not about to start now! If I can't talk some sense into you, I'll just have to take you back by force! You're coming with me even if I have to _drag_ you!”

“No! If you attack me, I might go berserk again!”

“I've made up my mind. There's nothing you can do to stop me!” Lea was still crying as he spoke, but his voice was firm and resolute. 

“I might kill you, Lea! Don't you understand!? I'm trying to protect you!”

“I don't want your protection!”

“There's something wrong with me! I don't how much longer I'll still be myself!”

“It doesn't matter if you lose control of yourself again!”

“How can you say that!?”

“Because! Even if you go berserk, I'll just bring you back again! No matter where you go, or how many times you leave, I'll bring you back! No matter where those guys take you, I’ll always be there to bring you back! Even if you go into the next life, I’ll _still_ bring you back! Always! I swear it!” It was a plea, a cry, a bitter lament, and most importantly, a vow. _I'll bring you back no matter how many times it takes. No matter where you go. No matter how many times. For your sake. And for mine._

Isa was thoroughly exhausted. _What am I supposed to do? I wish I could just run away from all of this, but I can't. I have nowhere to run. This was my last resort. I don't want to fight Lea._

 _I'm taking you with me whether you like it or not._ Lea took out his frisbees and shortened the distance between him and Isa in one swift move. Then he brought down a harsh blow.

Isa shielded himself with his arms and blocked his strike. As soon as he did, he fell to the ground. He felt himself losing control of himself again. He looked at Lea with a pitiable expression. “Lea...Please don't hold back.”

 _So, now he’s asking me to finish him off!?_ Lea was furious. _Fine! You asked for it!_

Lea cut at Isa with a swing. Just like that, he was sent flying to the side. When he got back to his feet, he became like a beast once again.

Isa came at him with a savage blow, and sent Lea sprawling on the ground. But Lea got right back up. They clashed again and again. Each time, Lea was viciously thrown about. But he got right back up again.

_All I wanted was for us to be together. Pretending to be the mature adult, you decided that wasn't possible. Well, that's not good enough for me. I won't accept it. I’ll put an end to all this—I’ll stop you._

Attacking his best friend was the most difficult thing he'd ever had to do. But if it meant saving his life, he was prepared to do it. Maybe they were evenly matched after all.

_I can handle whatever he throws at me. I'm strong enough. I won't lose here._

Isa rushed at Lea again.

When he came to close the distance, Lea swiftly darted behind him and struck him hard with a powerful blow to the neck, instantly knocking him unconscious. “See...I told you....your...defense...could use some...work.”

Isa fell forward as he fainted.

 _I'm...sorry, Isa._ Lea used up every last bit of his strength. Immediately afterward, he collapsed as well, and fell to the ground right beside his best friend.


	16. Day 7: Meet Again

After the day's training, Kairi sat watching the sunset at the special spot, just like she always did. Lea decided to come and join her as usual. Something about Kairi seemed different today, however. She was exceptionally quiet as she sat clutching her necklace, lost in thought.

“What's up, Kairi? Something wrong?”

She looked over at Lea as he sat next to her. “I...remember.”

“You do?” _What exactly does she remember?_ “You mean you remember being held prisoner by Xehanort?” Lea winced as he asked. He was worried about the effect such memories might have on her.

She nodded. “I remember being locked up inside the castle. It was a really dark cell and I was all by myself. I was so scared. The only thing I remembered was my grandma's story. 'Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you.' That story is what kept me going.” She smiled a bit. “My grandma was right.”

Lea wasn't following. “What are you talking about? What happened?”

“Just when I was about to lose hope, two boys came and visit me. That was the only solace I had when I was all alone. It... saved me. It made me feel like everything would be okay.”

Lea said nothing. He just stared at Kairi, speechless.

“Those boys would come just to talk to me. One time, they even brought me ice cream.” She giggled a little remembering it. “I don't remember what happened after that. Or what happened to the boys. That's...all I can remember, honestly.”

Lea looked down at Kairi's necklace in astonishment. “It was you. You're...that girl.”

“Huh?” _What is he talking about?_

“Isa and me. When we were kids, we met a girl after sneaking inside the castle. I remember. We even brought her some ice cream. One day, we tried to free her, but we got caught. That girl. It was you, Kairi."

Kairi's eyes widened as she stared at Lea. “Lea. That was...you?”

Lea smiled timidly and nodded. “Yeah. It was. That was me.”

 _Lea and his friend got kidnapped. They were forced to join Organization XIII after trying to help me. They lost their hearts._ Kairi felt tears welling up in her eyes. “I'm so sorry, Lea.”

“Wha—Hey! You don't have to apologize, Kairi.”

Kairi looked up at him with a pitiable expression. “But look at everything that's happened to you. All because you were trying to help me. It's my fault.” It sounded like she was going to cry.

Lea stared at Kairi. _That little girl. Back then, all we wanted was to save her. That’s what was in our hearts._ _The pure, innocent wish of two children._

_I've done a lot of bad things since then. I forgot who I was. But... I remember that day. I was asked to kill her, and I refused. I didn’t have the heart to do it. I promised myself that I would never choose anyone over my best friend ever again. I thought I made a mistake that day. I thought I betrayed Isa. But I guess I didn't. This is exactly what he would have wanted me to do._

Lea put his hand on Kairi's back. “You're wrong, Kairi. You...saved me too, ya know.”

“I did?” 

“Yeah. To tell you the truth, back when I was in the organization, I...thought I had lost everything.” Lea was speaking very softly. He looked up at the sky. “I thought...I was going to disappear for good. That’s why I wanted to see Roxas. I just...wanted to think that maybe, instead of disappearing...I’d be reborn into a new life, ya know? And there would be someone waiting for me on the other side.” _But I didn’t deserve to be reborn. Not after everything I’d done. That’s why I wanted to save you..._

Kairi could sense the sincerity in his voice. “Lea...” 

Lea summoned his Keyblade, the Flame Liberator in his hand and held it out. It glistened in the red sunlight, like the wing of a Phoenix. “But I didn’t disappear. I _was_ reborn. I have a heart. I have a Keyblade now. And it’s because of you.”

“I...don’t understand. How is it because of me?” She still sounded distressed.

“Because I decided to save you, Sora and King Mickey trusted me. That’s why I was able to ask for help. I actually have a chance to save my best friend now. It's all thanks to you. If I hadn't met you, I wouldn't be here.” Lea looked her right in the eyes. “Got it memorized?” 

She smiled.

“Lea. Thank you. Thank you so much. And Isa, too. I'm so glad I got to meet you again.”

 _Maybe...it all really was fate._ Lea felt emotional and started to get embarrassed. “Well then. How 'bout some ice cream? My treat!”

“Okay!” Kairi happily chirped.

Lea and Kairi walked over to Merlin who was sitting down drinking tea at a table in the forest clearing.

“Hey Merlin, we're gonna go into town for a bit and get some ice cream. That okay?”

“Oh, uh, all right. Hurry back now.” He waved his wand and transported them both to Radiant Garden.

Lea and Kairi left Merlin's house and wandered into town.

“They sell ice creams over in the Marketplace.” Lea noticed that Kairi was staring off into space. “This is your first time spending time here in your home world, isn’t it?”

She turned to him and nodded. “Before our islands got swallowed up by the darkness, me, Sora, and Riku were all gonna take a raft out to sea. We wanted to see other worlds. It was probably a bad idea, looking back on it.” She giggled a bit.

“Well it’s normal for kids to have a little taste for adventure, huh?” Lea smiled nostalgically. He used to feel the same way.

She took her lucky charm out of her pocket and stared at it. “Actually...I was afraid.”

For some reason, that answer was unexpected. It shouldn't have been surprising, though, considering what she’d been through.

“I didn’t wanna leave home and never see it again. And I definitely didn’t want to be separated from Riku and Sora.”

_Yeah...that’s a feeling I can understand..._

“Adventuring is nice. But having somewhere you belong and people you can always come back to—that’s even better. At least that’s what I think.”

“Yeah...” Lea looked up at the bright blue sky. It was so much different than the sky in Twilight Town. It was familiar, yet distant at the same time. 

_Somewhere to belong. I wonder. Do I have somewhere like that? I’m not sure. Over the years, I’ve spent more time in Twilight Town than Radiant Garden. But I was always alone, until I met Roxas. I don’t know what I can truly call home. As a Nobody, I didn’t think I had one._

_I had no heart. I didn’t belong to the dark or the light. So, I spent all my time there, in the twilight. I’m not sure which world I really belong anymore. Maybe both. Or maybe neither._

Lea remembered a conversation he had with Naminé when he was first on the run from the organization, back on Sunset Hill.

**_“Go where? It's not like we have homes to return to. We don't exist, remember?”_ **

**_“Yes, it's true. We may not have homes. But there is someplace I want to go... And someone I want to see...”_ **

**_“Same here.”_ **

_I think what I really want is more than just some_ _where_ _to return. I want...some_ _one_ _to return to_ _. Someone who’ll be waiting to see me. If I get to see the person I want to see, maybe then...I’ll finally feel like I’m truly home. Home is...where the heart is._

Lea stared at a cloud slowly drifting in the sky.

_Naminé wanted to go back to Kairi. That was where she felt like she belonged. She wanted to see Sora and Roxas. I wonder if she felt like she got to home in the end._

“Ya know, I always did want to come back here and visit. This town is so pretty now. Nothing like it was before.” Kairi bent down and picked a violet flower. “I’ll have to come back and visit. I can bring Sora and Riku.”

Lea smiled. “Well then, why don’t we take a walk around town? I know this place like the back of my hand.”

“All right.”

Lea and Kairi continued walking until they passed by the outer gardens. Leon was standing outside a large gated house.

Lea approached him. “Oh, hey Leon.”

“Whatcha doin'?” Kairi asked.

Leon was carrying a small gray puppy. “Just returning this little guy to the yard. He can be such a handful.”

“Aww. I didn't know you liked puppies Leon.”

Leon looked a bit embarrassed. “Well, after the dalmatians went missing, their parents were really worried. I just wanna make sure no more puppies get lost ever again.”

“How sweet of you, hee hee.”

Leon opened the gate of the large beautiful yard. “Here ya go, Scamp.” Leon let the small puppy down. Two older dogs—his parents—rushed up to greet him.

The grey dog immediately noticed Lea and came running up to him.

“Hah hah! I can’t believe it! It’s you! Tramp! You remember me?”

“Bark bark!” Tramp wagged his tail happily. Then he knocked Lea on his butt and proceeded to lick him.

“Ha ha!”

Kairi smiled, remembering how Pluto did the same thing when he first kidnapped her. “Doggies sure like you, huh?” Kairi bent down and pet Lady, rubbing her ears.

“Yeah. I guess you could say that. Got a habit of picking up strays...” _Now that I think about it, the king's yellow dog started following me when I was on the run from the organization. It's like he could tell that I had nowhere to return. I was a stray, too._

Lea admired the beautiful yard. It was just like it was when he was a kid. Things were the same, but different. He noticed that Lady and Tramp both looked well-groomed. Tramp had a red collar now. The canine couple had four beautiful puppies together. Three girls that looked just like their mother. And a boy, who was the spitting image of his dad.

“Looks like you’re not a stray anymore, though. You’re all grown up now, huh?” Lea stroked Tramp.

“Woof!”

_Tramp, the rogue has settled down happily with his partner and is raising a litter of puppies. He finally has a place of his own to call home. No more wandering around. That’s not such a bad life. Not as exciting as the life of a stray. But...he seems so happy there with his family. A nice, peaceful, relaxing life with his loved ones. That’s...the life I want, too._

* * *

Kairi and Lea finally made it to the Marketplace and bought two sea-salt ice cream bars from the shop moogle.

“Come again, kupo!”

The pair returned to the secret forest and ate their ice creams as they watched the sunset together.

When she was finished, Kairi looked down at her stick. “Hm? What's this?”

Lea smiled softly. “Oh, it says 'Winner'. That means you won a free ice cream! That’s really lucky, ya know!”

 _Another ice cream?_ She smiled and looked at Lea. “I think I'm going to save it. For when Isa comes back. I want to treat him to ice cream, too. To thank him for trying to help me.”

Lea gazed out at the sunset. “He'd like that. I know it.” His voice was low and a bit solemn. 

“Lea, what’s wrong?”

“I just...hope we get the chance to eat ice cream together again. I hope it’s not too late.” _Isa. I made you a promise when you gave me that stick. That we’d meet again in the next life. I’ve been reborn now. I want to keep my promise. I want to see you again. I just want you to come home._

“It’s not too late, Lea. You're the only one who can save him.”

Lea turned his head to look at Kairi. When he did, he saw the face of Naminé smiling at him. _It's...Naminé! Why? Why am I seeing Naminé right now?_

Looking at Naminé’s face, a memory suddenly came back to him.

**_“How many times do I need to say it? You’re the only one who can save him.”_ **

**_“But I… It’s too late.”_ **

**_“You shouldn’t give up just yet. Say, Naminé—have you noticed? Marluxia doesn’t seem to be around.”  
_ **

**_“_ ** **_What…are you saying?”  
_ **

**_“_ ** **_Just that there’s no one here who would want to get in your way.”  
_ **

_That's right. In Castle Oblivion. Naminé was locked up by Marluxia. I was the one who released her. I told her that she was the only one who could save Sora. I guess Naminé got to go home, after all. She's still there...inside of Kairi._

Lea smiled back.

_Naminé. Kairi. Thank you. I'm glad we got to meet again._

* * *

Lea slowly opened his eyes, finding himself lying in the middle of the Station Plaza. It was dawn and the plaza was totally empty.

_What...happened...?_

As he slowly lifted himself to his feet, he remembered the events of the previous day.

“Isa!”

_Where did Isa go!?_

They had both collapsed together, but Isa wasn't here anymore.

Lea frantically searched everywhere in Twilight Town. The shopping district, the old mansion, Sunset Terrace, even the train tunnels. But Isa was nowhere to be found. He was gone.

Lea stared vacantly at the sun sinking into the sea. The never-ending sound of the waves was beginning to grate on him. He was far outside Twilight Town, as far as the trains went, at a deserted beach. It was the same beach he and Isa had meant to visit. It was the last place he thought Isa might have come. But of course, he wasn't here, either.

Lea sat himself down on a hunk of driftwood, resting his elbows on his knees, and watched the waves rush in and out. His eyes narrowed against the setting sun. It turned the sea red, and the sky. The waves lapped at his feet, getting them wet. 

_They took him._

_They took him from me. He's gone. Forever. I'm never going to see him again. I couldn't stop them from taking him away._

_And now he's gone._

Tears fell from Lea's face onto the sand. He was trembling and his hands were balled tightly into fists.

_No. Why am I sitting here crying? Crying doesn’t accomplish anything. I have to take action. I‘m going to go get him and bring him back. That’s what I’ll do. No matter how many times they take him from me, I’ll always bring him back. Always._

He stared at the sand. The waves washed his tears away, into the ocean.

_I know where they are. They went back to Radiant Garden._

_If I go back there, I'm sure I'll lose my heart._

He raised his head and took one last long look at the cloudy red sky.

_That's fine. I don't really care anymore. I'll do whatever it takes. To save Isa, I'll do whatever I have to. Anything. If I have to give myself over to the darkness and become a Heartless, that's fine. That just means that everything I'm feeling right now will live on. No matter what, I’ll make those guys pay._

“I'm going home.”

Still shaking with rage, Lea raised his hand. Lo and behold, a dark corridor formed right in front of him, just as he suspected it would. He immediately rushed inside.

* * *

After banishing their master, four of Ansem the Wise’s apprentices gathered in the basement lab of the castle—Xehanort, Even, Dilan, and Aeleus.

“So, you're saying that we will be able to free ourselves from all emotion?” Dilan was skeptical. It sounded appealing, but implausible.

“Precisely,” Xehanort responded, cool and calm.

“But how?” Aeleus asked. Was he afraid? Maybe. Perhaps freeing himself from the shackles of emotion really was the only way to become truly strong.

“By giving up your heart.”

“What? Give up our hearts!? You ask us to become Heartless!?”

“No. I want you to become...Nobodies.”

 _Nobody...?_ “What is a Nobody?”

“Where does the body go when it separates from the heart? When the heart returns to the Heartless, the soul remains within the body. It is not considered to be deceased. The physical form simply disappears. But that is merely true in this world. Perhaps the body exists in another form in another world. If that is the case, then is it possible for one to exist in two worlds?” 

“What are you talking about?” Dilan asked.

“A being that is neither darkness nor light. That is a Nobody. Like those white creatures plaguing the castle.”

“You want us to become like them? Monsters?” Aeleus tried to hide his fear.

“A great number of Nobodies have lost human form, as have the Heartless. Yet, the Nobody born of someone with an exceptionally strong heart—would it be possible for it to retain its human shape and its sense of self after discarding its heart?”

“You have no idea if such a thing is even possible, yet you want us—”

Xehanort interrupted Even without letting him finish. “I am not asking you to take such a risk. Braig retrieved the escaped subject.” Xehanort looked over at Isa, who was now garbed in a black robe. “We will use _him_ to test our theory. An experiment is in order.”

Isa became terrified. _So, that's it! He wants to use me in an experiment! I'm going to lose my heart...I'm going to turn into a monster..._

“Is it truly possible to exist without a heart? To discard the heart and exist beyond the limitations of mere humans. That is what are going to find out.” Xehanort looked over at Dilan and Aeleus, who then grabbed Isa by the arms.

Isa said nothing, but his body was resisting.

Xehanort stared at him. “Why do you struggle, boy? The heart is unnecessary. Hearts are nothing but pain. Without a heart one cannot feel sorrow, guilt, or fear. Soon, all your pain will end.”

Dilan and Braig pushed Isa onto the transporter area of the large computer.

Isa closed his eyes and waited for the end. _I guess this is it for me..._

Suddenly, a black portal materialized in the middle of the laboratory. Everyone was stunned as they watched Lea appear from inside the portal.

“Isa!!!” he shouted as he noticed his friend.

“How did you get here!?” Aeleus said, stunned. _What is that portal!? He arrived using the darkness!?_

Lea ran over to the machine Isa was standing in. He jumped into the transporter without even thinking twice.

Xehanort swiftly pushed the button on the large computer.

The machine scanned both boys' forms and they quickly vanished. Moments later, their figures re-materialized, lying on the floor. Their bodies were transparent, with a dark haze surrounding them.

Isa felt himself fading away and didn't have enough strength to move. All he could do was watch helplessly as Lea slowly began to vanish as well. “Lea, why? Why did you come back?”

Lea could barely move. He felt his existence fading away, but forced himself to stand up through sheer willpower. He picked Isa up and put him on his back. He managed to take a few steps outside the transporter. “I promised...I’d bring you back...” _I will keep my promise...no matter what..._

Lea lifted his hand trying to create another dark corridor to escape. But nothing appeared. He was too drained to take even another step. With all his strength gone, he collapsed onto the floor on his side. Then, he slowly began to fade away.

Isa fell off Lea's back after he fell onto the floor. Tears poured down his face and onto the floor. _No... This is all my fault. I just wanted to protect you, Lea. But you're going to become a Heartless now. Without you, I have nothing. I have...no purpose....I might as well just fade away into the darkness..._

In his despair, Isa felt his consciousness being swallowed by blackness. And then...nothing. He was lying on the floor not far from Lea. His mind was completely fractured and his heart fell into a deep sleep.

As Lea was lying on the floor, fading from existence, he tried to reach his hand out to Isa, who was slowly disappearing the same way he was.

_We'll meet again, Isa. In the next life. I promise..._

And then, like a dying ember, Lea faded from existence, vanishing into nothing.

Moments later, Isa did the same.

For the next ten years, Isa's heart would be asleep.

Waiting for Lea.

Waiting for his birth by sleep.

* * *

Xemnas, clad in a black robe, approached two newly formed Nobodies just outside the now-ruined castle of Hollow Bastion.

The boys lay fallen. One of them stood up slowly, and stared blankly in front of him. 

_Orange eyes. My “wise” master experimented on this boy's heart, just like mine. Thanks to that, I have all my original memories back. Though his heart has been swallowed by the darkness, I also have Terra's memories as well. This vessel is the same. Though his heart belongs to me, he should gradually awaken to all of the original inhabitant's memories. The chains that bind our memory. They can be so...deceptive_.

Xemnas smiled and walked up to the boy.

The boy looked up at the man, silent and vacant.

“Do you seek answers?” the man asked the boy.

The boy nodded, staring fixedly at the man.

The man raised a hand, and letters rose up in front of the boy.

“You feel nothing. Nothing is real. I can give you purpose.”

The boy gave a clear nod.

“Your existence has but one purpose. You are to become stronger. Then you shall be worthy to be counted as...one of us.”

The letters in front of the boy spun around, and then, another letter joined them. That letter was ‘X’. That which floated there was to be the boy’s name, from then on.

“…Saïx,” the boy read out, in a clear voice.

“You have been born anew,” said the man, invitingly.


End file.
